A Rose Gone Rogue
by Mercs2Girl
Summary: **5th in the A THORNED ROSE series** After an excruciating decision, Jennifer Mui is left to deal with the aftermath. *Rated M for possible use of language and possible sexual content later on.*
1. Goodbye My Lover

**Well, this is the last part of the A Thorned Rose Series. I'd like to give thanks to my little brother, Sam, for listening to me, and helping with ideas. Also, to LilMickey2008 for letting me re-write his original, and continue writing a series that he was going to not continue. And finally, to HalfJaw101 for being an awesome reviewer and FanFic friend :)**

**With that, let us begin.

* * *

**

**A ****ROSE GONE ROGUE**

CHAPTER 1:

_**BANG**_

In mere seconds, the huge bullet erupted out of the massive Barrett .50 Cal's barrel and hit the target with dead on accuracy. The body fell backwards by a good ten yards. Blood spurted out of all the orifices it could, painting the nearby faded green Humvee bright red. The shooter felt as if it had happened in complete slow-motion; she was able to practically watch the bullet enter the man's body, watching it move through the air. She slowly regained her senses, and steadily stood up; overlooking the area she had just sniped. Five men lay dead in the field, one of which had once been her husband.

* * *

Jennifer Mui felt numb. She couldn't feel any emotions. Not sadness, not grief, not even guilt. She packed up her things, got into the ancient Ford truck, and drove down to the valley where five bodies were lying in the desert sand. She had to get the photographic evidence for Saladin, and then she would get paid. She quickly took the pictures of the men. She walked over to the Humvee. The blood had already started to dry on the metal sides. Jen however couldn't find James' corpse. She figured the force had blown it back somewhere in the bushes. She couldn't bring herself to take a picture of him, so she flipped one of the other soldiers over as she dragged him to the truck. The photos looked like two different men. She then set a charge of C4 on the truck, and drove away in hers. She clicked down hard on the red button, exploding the truck and the remnants of the soldiers. She looked back in her rear-view for s few seconds, watching black smoke spiral into the air. She felt no remorse.

* * *

Three hours later, she arrived at the Saudi Arabian base. It was dark out but she wanted to get her pay. She strolled in to Saladin's office. She was let in, and she set the camera down on Saladin's desk. He started going through each one, casually glancing at the dead bodies.

"Good." He pulled out the cheque and began writing in the information. "Now, with jizya taxation on you, it's down to one hundred million..."

"What?" Jennifer yelled. "I thought jizya was only used on non-Muslim _citizens _?"

"According to _our_ laws, any one who is affiliated with our military and armed conflicts and is not a Muslim, are applicable. This also includes non-Muslim mercenaries." Saladin grinned evilly. Jen clenched her fists.

"Unbelievable." She growled.

"It's in the contract that you signed Mui." He showed her the piece of paper. She scanned it, and when she got to the fine print, she realised that he was right. It was a thirty percent tax on anything that she had to pay for or she had received. Jen scowled. She had basically committed homicide of her husband, and she wasn't even going to get the full amount of money she had thought she was getting.

* * *

She looked at Saladin who was grinning still. She snatched the cheque out of his hand.

"For that, I'm keeping the truck." She said as she put on her boots.

"Fine, keep that piece of American trash! I had found it lying here in the first place."

"Whatever." Jen mumbled, walking out the door. It was now pitch black. Not even the moon was out. She struggled into the truck, fighting with it to get it started. The old engine gurgled and finally roared back to life. She stomped down on the clutch, threw it into gear, and drove towards the middle of the desert.

* * *

"Sir! Major Garrett! Sir! We just got word that another one of our patrols was attacked!"  
"Any survivors this time around?" Garrett asked. So far, no one had been found, alive, after one of these attacks.

"I don't know that much sir. With all the attacks recently, I honestly don't think there could be. Whoever's behind it must be pretty damn lethal." The private avoided Garrett's eyes.

"Well, go out there, and see if you can find anyone, anyone who can tell us who did this."

"Sir, yes sir!"


	2. Pay Day, Remorse, And A Phone Call

CHAPTER 2:

Jennifer drove on and on, until she could barely stay awake at the wheel. She pulled off to the side of the camel track she had been following. She killed the insatiably loud engine. She turned the headlights off, locked the doors, and laid down on the bench seat. She stared up at the rusted ceiling of the truck, lost in thought. She still felt numb, although slightly more comfortable about now that she had the cheque in her pocket. She would put that into her account through the capital city's international bank. But for now, she would try to sleep.

* * *

Morning came sooner then later, the sun shining down into the cab of the truck. Jen squinted, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She groaned as she sat up; her back was quite stiff after sleeping on the old seats of the truck. But never the less, she started the engine and drove back towards Doha. She figured she was a good three hours away from getting her pay.

She walked out of the bank with a smile on her face. She was another hundred million richer. However, hidden behind her smile, was the remorse, guilt, and grief that failed to strike her earlier.

* * *

_London, England._

_12:34 GMT_

Fiona put in the last plate into the dishwasher when the house phone started ringing. She rushed over to the living room and grabbed the cordless phone, hitting the talk button with her first finger, setting the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak to Fiona Taylor?"

"This is her." Fiona replied. The man on the other end sounded quite serious.

"This is Major Samuel Garrett and I…regretfully have to inform you that Sergeant James Holt is missing in action, presumed dead."

Fiona felt herself go pale in the face, her breath caught mid-exhale. She could not believe what she had heard.

* * *

"Miss Taylor?"

"Ye-yes?"

"I'm sorry I had to resort to calling you, but it was…it's bad. The patrol he was with was pegged off, and their vehicle destroyed. I've had men search the area, but they have not been able to find him…or his body. Everything else was destroyed in the Humvee's explosion."

"Oh God…so you think he's most definitely dead?"

"We're not sure but…"

"What about his wife? Why hasn't she called or…"

"We don't know where Jennifer Mui is. She wasn't working with us to begin with and I guess James never stayed in contact with her…"

"Oh my God…not the two of them." Fiona covered her mouth. She felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach.

"Listen, Ms. Taylor, I'll see what I can do about Mui. For James, if we find him, I will send him home with the greatest respects for a fellow American soldier."

"Thank you."

"Right, take care now."

* * *

Fiona stood in the middle of the living room, still clasping the phone tightly between her fingers. She hung it up on the charger. She was shaking, not knowing what to think or what to do. She didn't notice Cooper walk into the room.

"Fiona?"

"Cooper." She turned round and buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Surprised, he returned the hug. Fiona then explained everything to him.

"Oh…well…can't you track their phones?"

"I…yeah…I forgot about that."

Fiona trudged upstairs, quietly walking past Marissa's room where she had been napping. She sat down at her laptop and quickly initiated her tracking satellite connection. First she tried James'.

"I can't find his. It's gone. Probably destroyed in the explosion." Fiona felt herself keep back a tear. She had gotten to know him especially well after Jen had married him. Although she could not fathom what Jen was feeling, that was, if Jen could feel anything at all.


	3. Whereabouts Unknown

CHAPTER 3:

Fiona finally got a trace on Jennifer's cell phone. It showed her as being twenty kilometres out of Doha, the capital of Qatar. Fiona then called her.

* * *

"Jen? Hello?"

"Hi…I…I really can't talk right now…I…"

"Jennifer, I…James is missing, presumed dead. Major Garrett called…"

"I…I know."

"You don't sound too upset over it."

"Fiona…I…" The connection was becoming rather crackly. "Trust me, I am."

"Right…so…are you coming home?"

"No."

"What do you mean, '_no'_?" Fiona asked frantically.

"I've…I've done something horrible. I…can't go on like this. I can't go home. Look, take care of my daughter, please. Raise her like you were the one who carried her inside of you for nine months, like she was your own."

"Jennifer, what are you saying? What are you doing?"

"This is the last time you're going to be talking to me, all right?"

"Jen! What are you…?"

"Fiona Taylor…you're my best friend and if it weren't for you, I probably would have been dead in Iraq. And all the subsequent times after that…Every woman needs her best friend, and you were mine. I'm glad we've been friends through thick and thin and I'm going to miss you. Goodbye."

* * *

Fiona heard the line go dead. If she was in shock from hearing about James, she was about to pass out from what Jen had just said to her. Cooper looked at her face. She seemed to be staring off into space. He took her in his arms and just held her. It was eerily silent. Fiona didn't know what to do; losing her best friend and her best friend's husband in one day seemed to be too much, way too much to deal with.

* * *

_Middle of Nowhere, Qatar_

Jennifer hung up her phone, hot wet tears pouring down her face. The regret, grief, and guilt had fully caught up to her. So much so that she had to pull over and get out of the truck. After her last phone call with Fiona, she couldn't hold it back any longer. She also knew Fiona would be tracking her phone. She took out her pistol and shot the iPhone three times, pieces of electronics littering the desert floor. She looked down at the warm smoking gun in her hand. She thought about it deeply, and then set her gun down. She reached into the back of the truck, feeling the smooth plastic case of her Barrett. Who knew the thing she had loved doing the most was now causing her the most pain.

She wondered if she had gotten the full payment, would she be feeling this guilty? She knew she was money-obsessed, but to her, material wealth was all one needed. No matter where she had gotten the money from, it was still good. She had always lived like that. Now, after getting gypped a whole forty five million, after shooting her husband, she felt like she couldn't take it anymore. Life as she knew it was at its end.

* * *

_London, England._

"Oh God, I don't know what to do." Fiona sobbed. Cooper held her, pressing her face closer to his chest.

"Then don't do anything right now."

"Cooper!"

"I'm trying to be helpful here."

"I know." She cried, looking past him at her computer screen. "Oh no, her cell phone signal isn't tracing anymore. What if she…" Fiona started sobbing uncontrollably. Cooper took her back into his arms again, stroking through her now fully blonde medium length hair. She rested her head on his shoulder, holding him back. Cooper looked past her, to the door of the office, where a three foot tall toddler was standing, watching them.


	4. An Old Friend Named Vodka

CHAPTER 4:

"What's goin' on?" Marissa asked as she took a few more steps into the office. "Why's Auntie Fiona crying?"

"Marissa…" Cooper pulled away from Fiona, crouching down to Marissa's level. "Look…mummy and daddy aren't coming home."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Cooper sighed, looking to Fiona for help. She too crouched down, looking into Marissa's deeply ice blue eyes.

"Your mummy and daddy are not coming home because they…they've gone to heaven." Fiona barely held back a sob from escaping the back of her throat. Marissa stared back, just comprehending what Fiona had said. Marissa looked down at the floor.

"Marissa?" Cooper called out softly. She stayed silent, still looking at the ground. "Marissa?" He called out to her again. She finally looked up, a fresh tear rolling down her plump cheek. Cooper took her into his arms as she started wailing. Fiona couldn't take it either and she reached around both Cooper and Marissa, embracing them as she too started to cry again. As she rested her head on Cooper's shoulder, Fiona thought about how things were now. She and Cooper were the guardians and 'parents' to Marissa. They had inherited a child.

* * *

A few hours had past since they had told Marissa. She seemed listless, not wanting to play with her toy cars or watch the kids' channel on the television. She simply sat on the couch, not moving, staring off at the ceiling. Cooper sat with her, watching her. Fiona had gone out for a drink. She told Cooper that this was something she needed to do, and he dropped her off, telling the bartender to call her a cab at eleven.

"I'll take a glass of vodka, Joe." Joe the bartender turned round. He recognised the lone woman sitting at the corner of his bar.

"Hey, you're the girl who came in a long, long time ago and never came back."

"Yeah, the one that left with a guy who just wanted sex? Yeah that's me." He handed her a glass of straight vodka.

"What's up?"

"What's up? Nothing. It's…my best friend, the one who told me to go here in the first place, she's dead. She found out her husband was killed. I called her and she said that was the last time I'd ever speak to her. God…" Fiona took a long drink from her glass. The vodka cooled the back of her throat. Joe sighed.

"Where'd this all happen?"

"Qatar. The whole oil conflict and all."

"I see. Here, take another on the house." He poured her another glass of the clear liquid. Fiona took it and drank it half way in one gulp. She leaned down on the counter.

"I can't believe it. And I'm their daughter's godmother…I never thought…"

"Yeah…so, is your boyfriend helping out?"

"Oh of course. He's the godfather of the kid."

"Ah…that's a bit um…"

"Strange, I know. They named us as godparents together. I guess it's fine but…I'm not mother material."

"You'll be fine." Joe reassured. Fiona took another sip, setting her glass down on the counter. Just then, someone took a seat next to her.

* * *

"Hey there, do I know you?" A man with a thick Irish accent called out. Fiona was about to turn and tell the guy off when she looked him in the face. It was Ewan Devlin, the helicopter pilot that she and Jen had hired when they were in Venezuela. His hair had been grown out, combed forward and he had a stubbly face.

"Ewan?"

"Aye, I do know you! Fiona!"

"What…what are you doing here?"

"Touring around really, looking for work. And you?"

"It's a long, long, long story."

"I've got time." Ewan replied with a casual grin. Fiona sighed, finishing her drink.

"Well…after Venezuela, we went back to Korea where Song had been working with this Von Schrader guy and were wreaking havoc to everyone in Korea. That's when Jen got a new partner, James. Soon enough, the two of them fell in love. They got married like three years ago. Then after a while, Jen decided to get back to being a merc. They went off to Qatar where another oil war's raging. James is MIA, presumed dead. And I think Jen's gone rogue. She sounded kinda suicidal on the phone, saying that that was the last time she was ever gonna speak to me." Fiona rambled, finishing with a saddened sigh. "So…that's why I'm here drinking my sorrows away."

* * *

"Oh man. So my old boss is…dead. Wow." Ewan took a sip of his beer, thinking about everything Fiona had told him.

"Yeah…and I'm now stuck raising her kid." Ewan choked on his beer, sending part of it up his nose.

"K-k-kid?"

"Yeah, she and James have a daughter named Marissa. She's almost four years old. They named Cooper and I the godparents together."

"Cooper?" Ewan asked curiously.

"He was a driver that Jen had taken on way back. He's a good guy."

"You with him?"

"Yeah." Fiona nodded. Ewan grinned slightly.

"Well at least you've got him."

"True." Fiona replied, finishing her sixth glass of vodka. She was drunk, completely. Joe had meanwhile been keeping an eye on her and the clock. He walked over to her side of the counter.

* * *

"Well, it's eleven. And Cooper told me to call you a cab so…it's here."

"All ready? I guess it is." Fiona replied as she looked down at her watch.

"Hey, before you go, I'll give you my number in case you need to talk or anything or need a favour." Ewan took out a pen and pad of paper from his wallet and scribbled out his cell phone number for Fiona. She took it, stuffing it into her pocket.

"It was nice seeing you a-ag-again." She slurred.

"You too."

* * *

Fiona stumbled in the door at twenty after eleven. She fumbled with her keys, finally unlatching the door. Cooper was waiting in the living room for her. He helped her up the stairs and into bed.

"Can you get my cell phone out of my pocket?" Fiona mumbled as she put her head down on the pillow. Cooper chuckled at her drunkenness. He reached around her, fishing his fingers in her jeans' pockets. He found her phone and when he pulled it out, a slip of folded white paper fell down onto the bed. He curiously opened it and read it.

"Who's Ewan?"

"Oh…he was the helicopter pilot Jen had hired back in Venezuela. Funnily enough he was at the bar tonight too. I told him about Jen and James and he offered his number in case we need a favour or need to talk or…"

"Right then…so there's nothing going on between you and this Ewan guy?"

"NO! Ewww….It's Ewww-an. He's…he's gross. Friendly, but…too horny for his own good."

"Okay. So I've got nothing to worry about?"

"Hell no."


	5. A Bit Of Sunshine Amongst The Clouds

CHAPTER 5:

"So I don't know what she's done." Fiona said into the head set of her cell phone. She had in fact called Ewan to talk.

"I have no idea either. But by the sounds of it, and what you have told me, it seems she's done herself in."

"I hate to say it, but I think you're right. She mentioned she'd done something horrible, but…I have no idea what that could be."

"Anyway, I have to get going but, again, I'm here if you need to talk. Oh…I'd like to come visit sometime soon, to see her daughter."

"Yeah no problem. Just give us a call. Bye."

* * *

Fiona hit the 'end' button on her phone with a sigh. As much as talking seemed to help, at the end of the day Fiona still couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past three weeks. She didn't know how things would turn out for Marissa.

* * *

Cooper sat down at the table, Marissa in her high chair. She played around in her bowl of soup, not even taking on spoonful. And when Cooper tried his old method of pretending the utensil was a car, she turned her head away. He knew that she knew her parents were dead, but he didn't think a toddler could get this depressed. He had no idea what he could do to try and help her. And then, the idea hit him.

* * *

"Fiona?" Cooper called out to the upstairs.

"Yeah?" She called back.

"Come here." Fiona turned off her laptop and trudged down the carpeted stairs.

"What is it?"

"I think we should get a dog."

"Why?" She asked curiously, looking at Marissa in the kitchen.

"I think it might help her cheer up, distract her maybe."

"Well I guess we could. What kind of dog?"

"I was thinking something little and cute." Cooper suggested with a grin. Fiona half-smiled in silent agreement.

* * *

_A Few Weeks later…_

"Come on, come on!" Cooper called out playfully to the little brown and white bulldog that was sniffing around the living room. The dog looked up, his tongue dangling out of its mouth. He ran over to where Cooper had knelt down. "That's a good boy. What a good boy!" Cooper cooed as he petted the back of the dog's neck. Fiona dropped the bag of toys, food and supplies the previous owners had given them. They had found the dog in the classified ads, advertised to be a 'friendly family dog who loves kids'. Fiona had called as soon as she had told Cooper. The man on the other end had said that his son was going off to school and couldn't take his dog with him, so they decided to sell him. Fiona and Cooper knew the moment they saw Charlie that he was the right dog.

* * *

Charlie ambled over to Marissa who was plopped down on the couch, again staring off into nothingness. He clambered up onto the couch, circled the cushion three times, and laid down beside the toddler. She looked down at his wrinkled face and a grin crossed hers. She started gently petting the back of Charlie's fat rolled neck and her smile grew even bigger. Her eyes lit up with new found joy and soon enough she was giggling. Fiona looked to Cooper, and he stared back, almost with the look on his face that said, _I told you so._ She stepped in closer, taking Cooper's hand, leaning her head on his left shoulder. They stood and watched Marissa laugh for the first time in a month since she had known her parents were dead.

* * *

A few days had past since Cooper and Fiona had brought Charlie home and already Marissa was back to her normal, happy and smiley self. Ewan had come over for dinner and Marissa was getting along with him quite well.

"Well gee; she sure is a spittin' image of her mother if I ever saw one." Ewan remarked as he watched her play fetch with the fat dog. "She musta got those eyes from her father, I'm presuming?"

"Yeah, he had really blue eyes." Cooper replied as he turned off the stove. He put the pot of linguini on the cold side of the stove, fetching the strainer.

"Now I know this might sound…weird but I never took Jennifer to be the one in a relationship type." Ewan said awkwardly.

"I know what you mean. Being her best friend I never thought that she would be the one to settle down. But I guess we were all wrong." Fiona replied as she helped Cooper dish out the pasta.

"How long had they been married?" Ewan asked as he took his plate off the counter and sat back down at the table.

"Three years." Cooper answered, taking a seat at the end of the table across from Ewan. Fiona sat down beside him and they started eating the shrimp linguini that Cooper had thrown together really well.

* * *

Fiona looked over at Ewan. He had really changed since she had last seen him. His hair had been grown out. It was still short but it didn't have the buzzed down sides. He grew a little bit of stubble which made him look older and he dressed in nicer clothes. His shirt was a button up long sleeved dress shirt in a pale green colour. He wore dark dress pants to match with black leather shoes.

She took down one last bite of her pasta. She was full. She was happy that Cooper was such a good cook. She sat back in her chair, exhaling happily. Ewan smiled.

"This was really nice Cooper. I'll have to come back for the food, considering I can't cook at all."

"Really? How have you been surviving then?" Cooper asked.

"In bars and restaurants." Ewan replied with a chuckle.

"Figures." Fiona retorted. Ewan smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well the last time I saw you, that's all you did. Go to bars, hit on women and…"

"I've changed! I gave that up. It came with age I guess."

"So do you have a steady girlfriend?"

"No. I'm a free bird." Ewan winked, setting down his fork and knife on the plate.

* * *

Marissa then walked into the kitchen, the dog following her like stink on a bug.

"Hey there Marissa." Ewan called out friendlily.

"Hi, Ewww-an!" Marissa giggled. Ewan half-scowled but then it turned into a smile as she sat down in his lap.

"Jeez, you're a big girl." Ewan exclaimed, feeling the weight of her on his knee. He gave her a slight hug before letting her down to go off and play.

* * *

"Well, I should get going. Thank you for the excellent meal and uh, I hope to be seeing you all around sometime."

"It was good to see you again."

"Nice to meet you." Cooper said, shaking Ewan's outstretched hand. Ewan gave them one last nod before he shut the front door behind him.

* * *

Cooper suddenly leaned down to Fiona and kissed her. She was surprised by his movements and it took her a moment to respond. He bit her lip softly as he pulled away with a grin.

"I'd been waiting to do that all night." Cooper whispered in her ear. Fiona giggled.

"Me too."

"So I have to say something."

"Yeah?"

"I can see why you thought of him as gross."

"Really? He's cleaned up since the last I saw him."

"He's just….I could see him being the typical ladies man. And another thing; did you teach Marissa to say his name like that?" Fiona blushed guiltily.

"Ha-ha…yes."


	6. Sweet Sixteen

CHAPTER 6:

_Twelve Years Later…_

"I'll go and get Marissa from school today." Fiona called out, pulling on her sneakers. It had been two months since Marissa had started in year eleven at high school. She had another three years to go before she could choose to go off to university. Fiona couldn't believe it had been that long since Jen and James had been gone. It felt like it was just yesterday. Fiona tied up her laces just as Cooper came down the stairs.

"Oh all right. What car are you taking?"

"My Camaro of course."

"Figures." Cooper chuckled, fetching her keys off the rack by the door. She stood up to her full height and as he handed her them keys, he kissed her deeply. They had been together the whole time since they had become the legal guardians of Marissa. Cooper hadn't once broken it off with Fiona and in fact, the thought had never even crossed his mind no matter what had happened between them.

* * *

Fiona left the house and after a short fifteen minute drive in her old faded pink racing Camaro, she arrived at the parking lot of Marissa's school. It was an older red bricked building, nearly falling apart in some places. But Marissa had insisted to go there since she had been friends with some of her classmates since she started school. Fiona and Cooper put up no objections about it though, considering they wanted her to be happy and have friends who she could talk to. Fiona killed the engine, setting the parking brake as she let her foot off the brake pedal. She leaned back, rolling down the window. It was a warm day at the end of October and after sitting in the car for awhile, it got fairly warm.

The bell finally went off at three o'clock and hoards of uniformed teenagers swarmed out of the building's doors like a colony of ants. Fiona kept her eyes peeled for Marissa. She waited until finally she saw a girl with familiar jet-black hair down to her chest, a styled fringe covering her eyes. Fiona honked twice and got the girl's attention. She smiled, her straight teeth glinting in the afternoon sunshine. She pulled open the right side door of the car. It was allowed in England to have a left side driven vehicle if it was clearly marked with a yellow warning label on the back. Marissa slid in, setting her book bag down on the floor.

* * *

"How was your day today?" Fiona asked, turning the key in the ignition.

"All right, I suppose. Boring as usual." Marissa replied. Like her mother, she had the same London accent in her voice. She sighed, leaning back into the leather seat.

"Let me guess, that math teacher of yours is the cause?"

"Yeah, Mr. Williams. He's just so…old and monotone."

"Ah, we all had bad teachers once." Fiona smiled, stifling a laugh. She knew Marissa was a good student none the less and even though she had a horrid teacher, she would still do very well with her marks.

"So, considering it _is_ your birthday on Saturday, I was thinking I'd take you out for a girl's night out?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you are turning sixteen. We could do that on Friday then on your actual birthday, you could have some friends over for a party."

"That'd be awesome. What gave you this idea?"

"Oh, I don't know really. Maybe it's because I never got a 'sweet sixteen' party way back when."

"That must have sucked."

"It wasn't too bad." Fiona admitted, turning into their street. "I was kind of a loner, my only friends being techies and nerds."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"I never would have thought." Marissa grinned. Fiona looked at her as she drove up into the garage.

"Anyways, so we'll go shopping on Friday and I'll talk to Cooper about how many friends we'll let you have over and yeah."

"Thanks Fiona, it means a lot. Can I ask you something?" Fiona was about to get out when she looked over at Marissa curiously.

* * *

"Shoot."

"How come you and Cooper haven't had a kid of your own?"

"Well…" Fiona sighed softly, sitting back down into her seat. "We just…I never really wanted kids and nor did he…and then…"

"Then what?"

"Then we inherited you. And we never thought about it again."

"Oh." Marissa replied quietly.

"Don't take that the wrong way; we love you like you had been ours. That was the one thing your mother had wanted, was that I raised you like I had been the one to give birth to you. So…"

"I get it." Marissa said softly. She tried to bring up her parents as little as possible. Every time one or both was mentioned, she remembered back to when she was little and first found out. It made her secretly upset on the inside. She avoided Fiona's curious eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Marissa lied as she got out of the car. She trudged through the cramped garage and pulled open the door into the house, wiping away a tear.

* * *

Cooper was sitting at the kitchen table, reading through his car magazine that he received monthly. On the cover was a silver Aston Martin DB9 much like his own. He saw Marissa storm past him without a hello. He set his magazine down and went over to talk to Fiona.

"What happened to her? What'd you do?"

"I did nothing. She just…I mentioned her mother and…" Fiona sighed, closing her eyes, face in her palm. Cooper reached forward and embraced her tightly. Cooper whispered into her ear.

"She'll be fine."

* * *

_Friday November 8__th_

"Oh I love these!" Marissa hurried over to a clothing rack where there were dark blue jeans embroidered with rhinestones on the back pockets. She held a pair up to herself, staring down at the denim. She then looked back up at Fiona with a huge smile, begging her to buy them.

"Yes, I'll buy them." Fiona agreed willingly. She had promised Marissa that she would buy her a few new outfits. Marissa happily walked up to the counter with her outfits and jeans.

* * *

When they arrived home, Cooper was nowhere to be found. Fiona tried calling him but got no answer. She figured he must have been driving somewhere. Where though, she had no idea.

Marissa travelled up the stairs, carrying the shopping bags, one on each arm. She kicked open the door to her room. She set the bags down on her bed. Her room was painted a light blue-purple colour. She had it picked out when she was ten, and had loved it ever since. Her furniture was a dark maple colour that matched the paint on the walls. Her window faced the east, so the sun woke her up every morning. She looked over at her dresser where a picture of a brown and white bulldog was framed. She was also in the picture, although much younger. He had been her dog since she was three. She loved him, and apparently, as Cooper once told her, he was what got her out of a depression when she had first found out her parents were dead. Charlie had passed away before she started high school in his sleep. Marissa had been upset, but for the years she had him, she would never forget him or the memories made.

Marissa tried on her new jeans and a new top that she had bought. She straightened her hair and continued prepping to go out with Fiona for their 'girl's night out'. Eventually, she went back downstairs. Fiona was on the phone.

* * *

"Cooper, I don't know where you are, but if you don't come home soon, you won't have any supper." Fiona hung up the phone, scowling.

"He's probably off driving one of his cars." Marissa suggested. Fiona figured she was right.

"Well you know what, he can fend for himself. He can cook. Anyways, let's go shall we?"

"Where are we headed?" Marissa asked curiously.

"Off to a nice restaurant, then I was gonna let you pick a movie to go see."

"Awesome! I was thinking that new movie with that Australian guy in it. That new romantic comedy."

"Oh! Yeah the one with Sam Worthington. He's so…Mmmm…" Fiona fantasised for a second just how attractive she thought the actor was. Marissa gave Fiona a funny glance as she had stopped mid-stride.

"Are we going any time soon?" Fiona snapped back to reality.

"Yep! Sorry…let's go."

* * *

Cooper had meanwhile been out driving his humongous Ford F350 pickup truck throughout London, giving it a drive since it had been sitting for a very long time in his garage at his apartment. He knew someone was trying to get a hold of him, but he really didn't want to get pulled over for talking on his cell phone and driving at the same time. He continued on through the busy streets, passing and avoiding other cars, picking up speed. He saw that he was coming up to a late green light, judging by the cross walk signal's hand flashing. He stomped it, putting the accelerator to the floor. He wanted to make the light and get home faster before Fiona left with Marissa.

He never saw it coming as he approached the now red light. Another car drove ahead, going a hundred kilometres an hour from the right hand side. It was far too late to stop his truck as he rammed head on into the car on the left hand side of the vehicle, straight into the driver.


	7. Everyone Has Their Flaws

CHAPTER 7:

Cooper's head was whipped back into his seat, just as his airbag blew up in his face. He slammed his foot automatically on the brake, hoping to stop his out of control truck. Eventually everything slowed down. Cooper opened his eyes, pushing the airbag out of his face. He felt pain in his neck, his head, and his elbow that had slammed off the hard part of his door at impact. He looked at the damage in front of him. The car that he had hit was basically dented inwards at a ninety degree angle. It had been tossed thirty feet to the left, luckily not hitting anyone on the other side of the intersection. The driver of the vehicle had been thrown out of the car. Cooper, feeling really bad, decided to stay and help. A lot of other times he had been in accidents less serious, he had often driven off, given that no one was seriously injured.

He opened the door of his truck which was still intact and working fully. He stepped down slowly; the whiplash and headache was killing him, but he was sure as hell not as bad as the other guy. He walked over slowly past the other car, which he identified as once being an older car, a Honda Cr-X. He looked around it, the driver no where to be seen. Then he stumbled over something. That something was the driver.

* * *

"Awwww! That was such a cute movie!" Fiona exclaimed. "Sam was so…"

"I know right! He should be in more of those. I would love to be opposite him. Imagine getting to snog the lips off of him!" Marissa giggled. Fiona joined in as they got back into the car. Before they left, she checked her phone for any missed calls or texts. There had been one call from a number that she didn't recognise. There was a voicemail accompanying it.

* * *

_"Hi, I'm Dr. Shepherd from St. Mary's Hospital. I'm calling to let you know that your um…boyfriend has been in a bad automobile accident and is here at the hospital in the ICU. He however isn't the one needing intensive care but…I'll explain why he's there later. He is only suffering from whiplash and a mild concussion as well as a broken elbow. I'll explain more when you arrive. He's in room forty-two sixty. Goodbye."

* * *

_

"Well I know where Cooper is." Fiona sighed, shaking her head. Marissa sensed something was very wrong.

"What's wrong?"

"He got into an accident."

"Is he all right?"

"Apparently. Look, I'll drop you off at home and then I'm off to the hospital."

"I want to go with you."

"Marissa, just…you can come tomorrow in the morning after I find out more. And don't worry; you'll still be able to have your party with all your friends. I might just have to ask Ewan to chaperone it but…" Marissa hid her smile. She knew Ewan would be a little more lenient than Fiona about the things they did at her birthday bash. Fiona started the car and drove off to home. She dropped Marissa off, telling her to go to bed.

* * *

Cooper woke up in a hospital bed. He had been given a room with the other driver in the accident. He looked over at the other side of the room. The driver was obviously female, based on the curvy shape of her body. She had the majority of her face wrapped up in bandages, leaving only her one eye, nose, and mouth open. She was still unconscious and would be for a long while. Dr. Shepherd had said they performed a craniotomy on her as well as a repair for internal bleeding in her torso. Her face had been badly cut up from the asphalt when she flew out the side of her car. Cooper felt really, really bad. He knew it was entirely his fault, but the worst part was, the woman had come in with absolutely no form of identification or proof of ownership on the car. He turned his head back slowly, and closed his eyes once more.

Fiona walked in through the front door of the hospital. The nurse at the desk said that visiting hours were way over, but it didn't stop Fiona. She carried on, up the elevator to the fourth floor. She walked past the nurses' station and wheeled round the corner that had the room 4260 on the sign. When she walked in, she saw Cooper sitting up in bed wearing a neck brace. He wasn't hooked to a heart monitor, but someone else in the room was. She looked past his bed and saw the bandaged face of a woman staring back. She was utterly unconscious, intubated and all.

* * *

"Fiona?" Cooper called out groggily. Fiona whipped her head around, causing a crick in her neck.

"Ow! Hi." She said, grasping the back of her neck. "What the hell did you do to this woman?"

"I um…ran a red." Cooper cringed, waiting for Fiona to either yell at him or hit him. She walked over; furiously angered that he had done something so stupid. She pouted at him, crossing her arms. He bit his lip, waiting to be smacked. But instead she just stood there in silence. He waited for a bit before saying anything.

"You there Fiona?"

"Oh Cooper, I'm just glad that you're all right." She sniffled, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He chuckled lightly at her. He slid his hand around her waist, holding her the best he could without moving his neck.

"Where's Marissa?"

"At home. I told her she could visit tomorrow. And that she can still have her birthday party. I figured I could call Ewan and ask him to chaperone it."

"Do you think that's really a good idea?"

"He'll be fine. He's just there to make sure no one chokes on food or hurts themselves or do anything overly stupid. Besides, she's only having her four female friends and one guy."

"Only one guy?"

"Apparently, he's in what they call the 'friend-zone'. He's just strictly a friend."

"All right. I just want to make sure she's you know…safe." Cooper said with a grin.

"I think she's old enough now to make reasonable choices; Reasonable, safe, and responsible decisions."

* * *

_Saturday November 9__th_

"So, you want me to chaperone her party?" Ewan asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, if you could, it'd be a really great favour." Fiona told him. Ewan sighed.

"All right, but she better not go crazy on me with all her mates."

"I've told her to behave." Fiona chuckled, switching hands on her phone.

"Okay…I'll be there for three o'clock sharp."

"Thanks Ewan! This means a whole hell of a lot for her. Bye."

* * *

Fiona walked back downstairs out of the office and into the kitchen where Marissa was eating her lunch. They had already visited Cooper earlier in the morning. After Marissa saw that he was in fact, in not bad condition, she was relieved. Fiona was planning on going back to be with Cooper when the Jane Doe was supposed to wake up in order to talk to her about it and what she wanted to do regarding pressing charges or not.

* * *

Soon enough, three in the afternoon rolled around and Ewan showed up not one minute late. Marissa let him in.

"So, how many people are you havin' over?"

"Five."

"That's it? I was expecting you to have a lot more." Ewan said as he poured himself a glass of pop.

"They're my closest friends. I don't trust that many people to have a free run in my house."

"True. I've been there done that. It's not pleasant cleaning up afterwards. Especially if there was alcohol involved." Ewan shuddered. He hated cleaning up remnants of really drunk people. Marissa giggled.

"I can only imagine."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Fiona always said you used to consider yourself quite the 'ladies man' and stuff." Marissa too poured herself a glass of the black coloured soda pop and sat down across from Ewan. She had never really paid attention to it, but she noticed that he had really green eyes.

"That was the old me. I changed with age I guess. I saw the world through different eyes."

"I guess that's a good thing for the women you know." Marissa joked.

"Oh ha-ha. You should be quiet or I might just leave and then you can't have your party."

"You wouldn't do that! Besides, Fiona would be royally pissed off at you."

"Aye…you've got a point. And on that note…" He paused after hearing the door bell. "Let's get this party started, shall we?"

* * *

Fiona and Cooper sat around and waited for a good hour or so before Jane Doe across from them finally woke up. They called in Dr. Shepherd and after a few examinations and removal of the tube in her throat, the neurosurgeon left them alone. Cooper pulled back the curtain that had been separating the beds. The woman was looking around trying to take it all in.

"Hi there. I'm Cooper. I uh…was the one who t-boned you after trying to run through the red light." The woman simply stared back at him wide-eyed. "Are you okay?"

"W-w-what?" The woman mumbled slowly in a raspy voice.

"Do you even know who you are?"

"I…I don't…remember." The woman however had a British accent from somewhere. Cooper couldn't recognise exactly what part it was from, but at least he knew she was native to England. She had amnesia and until she remembered anything, Cooper wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

"Aye, well thanks for being good and not making this a hassle for me." Ewan called out the five of Marissa's friends as they waved goodbye from inside their taxi cab. Marissa smiled tiredly. The party had been great; they had had a great time, great food, laughter, and the like. It was a party that she would remember for all her life. Ewan closed the door behind them, the hall light catching the glint off his playful green eyes. Marissa was still smiling when he turned around. "So apparently, I'm to stay until Fiona gets home for the night. And you guys didn't leave a mess to clean up and…oh…I almost forgot, I got you a present."

"You didn't have to!" Marissa exclaimed.

"Aye, but I did." Ewan reached into the front hall closet and pulled out a wrapped up box about eight inches square. He handed it to her and she moved into the kitchen to open it. He followed, anxiously wanting to see her reaction. She pulled the ribbon back and opened the box. She pulled out another cardboard box and opened the top off it. In it, was a pair of delicately carved diamond studded earrings. Marissa's jaw dropped. She had never ever expected him to get her something this nice.

* * *

She turned around and practically tackled Ewan backwards. He staggered and then caught his balance as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"Thank you, they're beautiful. I never would have thought…Thank you Ewan."

"You're welcome." Marissa pulled away and they shared a glance. He was smiling, his stubble just grown in. Marissa couldn't tear herself away from his handsome eyes. She felt herself leaning in, slowly, but surely with every centimetre. Their eyes locked and stayed put, and eventually their lips met in a kiss. Ewan couldn't move away and Marissa did not want to move. She pulled him deeper into it, pulling his the back of his head with her free hand. Marissa moved closer to his chest, wrapping her other hand around his shoulders. She started kissing his more and more passionately. Ewan was still transfixed by her. He wanted to pull away, he did. But she had captured him in this kiss and he wasn't about to break away from it. Suddenly, the door lock clicked open.


	8. Realisations

CHAPTER 8:

Fiona pushed open the door, pulling her keys out of it. What she saw going on in the hallway between her goddaughter and Ewan Devlin, made her see red. She dropped her bags on the floor, adrenaline flowing through her body. She ran forward, reaching the two of them in brief seconds, their lips still attached. She thrusted up her right foot, straight between Ewan's legs from behind; her pointed flats making contact with his soft and sensitive flesh through his pants.

Ewan felt a sudden sharp pain, and soon he realised he had been kicked in the balls. He crumpled downwards, pulling out of the kiss with Marissa. He groaned loudly, holding himself, curling up in the fetal position on the floor. Marissa opened her eyes, staring straight into the enraged ones of Fiona. Ewan moaned again, breaking the silence between them.

"What the hell Ewan? She's only sixteen! You fucking pervert!" Fiona screamed. Ewan grimaced, fearing she was gonna kick him again. Marissa stepped forward, around Ewan, and between them.

"It was me! I kissed him!" Marissa objected. Fiona glared at her in disbelief.

"You…you did what?"

"I. Kissed. HIM! He didn't come on to me!" Marissa yelled back angrily.

"Marissa Taylor Holt!" Marissa knew it was bad when Fiona brought out using her full name. "The man is old enough to be your father! Hell, he's older than your dead dad!"

* * *

Fiona knew it the second the last two words slipped out of her mouth that she had made a huge mistake. Marissa froze, her lips still parted, still with Ewan's taste in her mouth. She stared in shock at Fiona. She shook her head and turned round slowly, storming up the stairs to her bedroom. Fiona sighed, her face in her hands.

"Aye I need those!" Ewan muttered as he slowly rose to his feet. Fiona glared at him.

"If she kissed you, then why didn't you pull away or push her off huh?" Fiona asked him accusingly. Ewan grimaced in pain still.

"I…I was in shock. I didn't want to, believe me. If Jen was still around she wouldn't have just kicked me in the balls, she woulda castrated me barehanded."

"Yeah, now get the hell out of here before I castrate you with my own bare hands!"

* * *

Ewan took off, feeling immensely worse than when he had arrived at their house. He knew he should have pushed her away. It was wrong, so wrong. But at the same time, he couldn't help but think just how beautiful she was for s girl so young. Ewan sighed, driving away. He pushed her out of his mind and went out to get a drink.

* * *

Fiona was still standing in the kitchen when her phone went off. It was Cooper texting her that the Jane Doe in his room was a little more lucid and talking about the accident. Fiona figured Marissa would be holed up in her room for the rest of the night, so she took off to the hospital with out a word.

* * *

"Right, so…it'd make things easier if you, you know had a name." Cooper said to the woman on the other side of the room.

"Well…I'm trying to remember." She replied. The English doctor had confirmed that she was from Liverpool, based on her accent. Cooper had no idea what the hell the difference was between someone from London and Liverpool but he figured if any one could tell, it'd be an English citizen.

"Anyways, look, it was completely my fault. I should have stopped."

"No shit." She said curtly. He continued on talking anyway.

"Listen, are you gonna press charges or not? I can pay for the damage, hell I can even get you a new car." He offered. She simply looked at him through her bandaged face.

"Pay for the plastic surgery that I'll need and it's done." Cooper bit down on his lip, thinking about it.

"All right, deal."

* * *

By the time Fiona had arrived, it was all settled. Cooper replayed the deal to her and she seemed rather satisfied with the terms. She sat down in her chair beside his bed and then told him what she had seen when she got home.

"She…she kissed him? And he didn't do anything about it? I'll kill the bastard!" Cooper roared. Fiona took his hand.

"It's all right! I already kicked him in the balls with these shoes." She showed him her pointed flats. Cooper cringed.

"Okay, yeah he got what he deserved. But…what the hell was she thinking?"

"I don't know. I don't know if it's her lack of her real father or…considering she was going after someone his age and older… Who knows?"

* * *

Marissa heard Fiona's car rumble out of the garage and she watched the pink beast roll down the street from her window. _Thank God_, she thought. At least now, she had the house to herself. She didn't know what she had been thinking, kissing Ewan. Fiona did have a point about his age, but bringing up her 'dead dad' was much too much. Marissa grabbed the one picture she had of her family from the top of her dresser. It was of her father and mother both holding her when she was just a baby in a portrait style with a navy blue background. She realised just how much she looked like her parents and it made a tear fall from her eye. She sighed, and set the picture back down in between the one of Charlie and a picture of Fiona and Cooper. _What a screwed up life I've got.

* * *

_

Fiona had meanwhile fallen asleep in her chair and eventually stayed the whole night at the hospital. When she woke up, she found that Cooper was still sound asleep, as was Jane Doe in the next bed. Fiona stood, stretching out her cramped back and neck, also trying to wake up her numb hand that she had fallen asleep on. She looked over at the woman and noticed something on the elbow of her left arm. Fiona took a few weary steps closer to investigate it. It was a birthmark, shaped kind of like a bullet. Fiona felt her stomach twist in a knot. Suddenly the woman opened her eye and stared at Fiona peculiarly. Fiona looked from her eye to her elbow and the birthmark. She recognised that birthmark and she knew exactly who the woman lying in front of her was.


	9. Guilt Trip

CHAPTER 9:

Fiona stood there, frozen in shock. The woman glanced back, exchanging the knowledge of Fiona knowing her true identity. Fiona stammered quietly to herself, her words not making any sense what so ever. She couldn't break her stare away from her.

"Fiona?" Cooper called out softly, yawning afterwards. Fiona narrowed her eyes then walked over to Cooper's bedside. She helped him out of bed and then led him by the arm outside of their room. Luckily, Cooper had been cleared to walk already. She closed the door behind them and they ambled slowly over to the small waiting area near their room. She sat him down easily and took a seat as well. "Fiona, what is wrong with you?"

"Cooper, that woman in there, the one that you just happened to get into an accident with, is Jennifer Mui."

* * *

"W-w-w-Wh-wha-what?" Cooper stammered loudly. He couldn't believe his ears. First he couldn't believe that a woman who was supposed to be dead was _alive_. Second, he found it freakishly coincidental that she got in a car accident with him of all people. And third, he was just in an overall shock. He felt himself gasping for breath.

"Cooper? You okay?"

"Yeah…" He panted. He started breathing in his nose and out his mouth, relaxing his heart rate. He had a case of mild asthma and it acted up at times, especially when something this shocking or stressful had happened. "How the hell do you know it's her?"

"She had a birthmark on her left elbow that kind of looked like a bullet. I made fun of her once for it and she had said it was a pretty damn good birthmark to have considering what she did for a living. That woman in there has it! And I'm pretty sure no one else would have one shaped the same in the same spot, just by some miracle."

"Okay…well she obviously knows us, hence the fake Liverpool accent. How are we gonna get her to confess?" Fiona grinned wickedly.

"We're going to guilt her into it."

* * *

Marissa woke up after sleeping in till half past ten. She had stayed up, reading a book until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. She got out of bed, still in her fleece pyjamas and went downstairs. A piece of paper on the counter caught her eye. It was a note left by Fiona telling her that she was staying over night at the hospital. Marissa threw it out, and then made herself breakfast. She was still upset over what had happened last night. She felt really stupid for doing something so…wrong. It was Fiona walking in on them that ruined her sweet sixteen.

* * *

Fiona sat in her chair, plotting on what to say in her head. She wanted to make Jen feel so guilty, that she would crack under the pressure. Fiona took a sip of water before she started.

"I don't know Cooper," She said, loud enough that she knew Jen could hear. "I seriously think Marissa's gonna have a hell of a time throughout the rest of her high school. I mean, if she's going after men like Ewan, because she's lacking her real father, then, I'm really afraid of what she might get into. Like drugs or binge drinking or…"

"I don't know either. I mean, we've raised her like she was ours but it's not the same as if she had her real parents." Cooper replied with a grin, hoping he was doing this guilt tripping good enough.

"It's so sad. Just the mere mention of either one of her parents gets her so, so upset. She cries every time." Fiona casually peered over her shoulder. Jen was awake, glancing at them occasionally.

"And she was so depressed when we had to tell her. It's a good thing we got her that dog."

"No kidding." Fiona sighed exaggeratedly. "I honestly don't know if she's gonna do well in life, given the entire ordeal that happened to her. And another thing, if she does go to university, I don't know if we're going to be able to help her financially. We'd be kind of tight for money if we helped her."

"You're right, unfortunately. She might have to just go to community college." Cooper suggested. He saw from the corner of his eye, Jen bit down on her lip.

"God, I can't believe it's been twelve whole years. I miss my best friend." Fiona sniffled loudly. She pinched the back of her upper arm, the pain making tears come steaming down her cheeks. "I can't believe she's gone." Fiona started fake sobbing. She leaned into Cooper, winking as they exchanged glances. She knew this was the cherry on top of their guilt tripping sundae.

* * *

"Oh Bloody Hell! I can't do this anymore, all right? It's me, Jennifer!"


	10. It's Been Awhile

CHAPTER 10:

Jennifer Mui was back from the dead, officially. Fiona pulled away slowly from Cooper's grasp, hiding her smile of relief. She had done it; she had made Mui crack. Fiona walked over to Jen's bed. "So, you have a whole fucking lot of explaining to do." Fiona said angrily, staring down at Jen. Jen still had the bandaged face, so there was minimal eye contact between them. But Jen didn't need to see her once best friend's eyes to know that she was obviously pissed the hell off. Jen sighed deeply, preparing herself for the bout of clearing up she had to do.

* * *

"Where to begin?"

"Well, you could explain what the hell that last phone call about?"

"That…right…um…"

"What was the horrible thing you did?" Fiona asked. She had remembered the conversation as if it were written into the side of her brain.

"Oh God…I…"

"Say it." Fiona demanded. Jen bit down her lip, a tear escaping her eyelid.

"I…I…James is dead…because of me." She ended rather quietly. It wasn't the exact truth but it was all she was able to muster. Fiona raised her eyebrow, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"I…I was on a contract with Saudi Arabians. I had to eliminate five Allied patrols. Meaning five Humvees, each carrying five soldiers. And when I got to number twenty-five…." Jen swallowed back the sob that had welled up in the back of her parched throat. "It…it was James and I…p-pulled the…t-t-trigger." Jen's cry echoed in the room. She started shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. The heart monitor that she was hooked up to started beeping fast and faster, signalling that her heart rate had spiked way up. Fiona panicked, not knowing what to do. Jen felt her chest tightening. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult.

"Fiona! Hit the code button!" Jen panted. Fiona looked behind her and saw a blue button marked with the words 'Code BLUE'. She smacked it as the heart monitor made one constant long beep. Fiona had the realisation that Jen was going into cardiac arrest.

* * *

_"Code Blue room 4260, CODE BLUE" _An automated voice called out from the speaker system. Fiona backed away as a code team wheeled in. There were four of them, two doctors, and two nurses.

"She's going into V-Fib! Charge to two hundred!" The one male doctor ordered, as the nurse handed him the paddles on the defibrillator. The machine let off a buzz and he pressed the paddles to Jennifer's chest. "CLEAR!" Her body jumped as the electric shock went through her. He paused, looking up at the heart monitor. She was still flat-lining. "Charge to three-hundred!" He pressed the paddles down again. "CLEAR!"

* * *

The heart monitor started slowly beeping in a steady pattern again. The doctor ordered his intern to run a lot of tests before letting anyone speak to Jen again. Fiona sat back next to Cooper, dead silent. She was so mad at her, but at the same time, so scared that she almost lost her best friend for real.

* * *

Hours had past, until finally Jen was well enough to keep talking. Jen had meanwhile told the doctors her name as she 'remembered it now'. The doctor however, gave her a funny look when her accent switched from sounding like John Lennon to a native Londoner. The doctor shrugged, figuring it was just a part of her amnesia. Fiona sat back down. She almost didn't want to ask anything more of Jen, but at the same time, she was edging to find out what the hell had gone down in that desert.

* * *

"All right, where was I?" Jen asked wearily. She reached over, taking a sip of her water.

"You had said you pulled the trigger." Jen grimaced at the memory.

"Right…I did. I had been so mad at him that I forgot he was my husband. He was just another soldier, the last one keeping me from that one hundred and forty-five million dollar pay cheque. And after that…I didn't even feel any thing. No guilt, no remorse, no regret. Nothing. It wasn't until later that night that the emotions finally seeped into me. Then I went to the Saudis, showing them I had done the contract and because of some friggen' Islamic law, any non-Muslim has to pay a ridiculous tax and I only got one hundred million and I killed my god damn husband for it!" Jen started crying softly again.

"Holy mother of…oh Jen." Fiona reached forward, embracing her. Fiona couldn't believe it. She knew James had been killed but, this was nothing she had expected.

"So…then I felt like I had nothing left to lose. I…I knew I had my daughter but I couldn't keep this from her…so…I faked my own death so she could at least grow up with some form of closure. But by the sounds of it, she has none." Jen sniffled, wiping away one set of tears from her uncovered left eye.

"When you called me that last time, I thought honest to God you had gone and killed yourself."

"I…I needed to sound like I was dead. I just…"

"So what the hell did you do for twelve whole years?" Fiona enquired inquisitively.

"I went all over. From Qatar I went through the Middle East to Russia and lived in a cabin for five years. Then I went to a small island in Greece for another five, and as of late I had been backpacking it around Europe, until finally I went back home to England where fortune would have it that I got into a car accident with Cooper."

"All right, I know it was my fault. And I'm sorry but…at least we found out you were, you know, alive." Cooper added from across the room. Jen smirked back at him the best she could.

"So…I want you to tell your daughter what you've told me." Fiona's smile faded.

"What? I…I can't tell her now!"

"Why not?"

"It's just…she's going to be in shock at the fact that I am alive, let alone knowing what happened in Qatar twelve years ago!" Jen exclaimed defensively.

"Either you tell her, or I will." Fiona threatened. Jen's jaw dropped, the pain of her asphalt burns tingling throughout her face.

"All right, all right." Jen sighed in defeat. "I will tell her."

* * *

Fiona went home and told Marissa that she needed her to come to the hospital. Marissa was suspicious at Fiona's behaviour; something about her just wasn't right. Marissa hoped nothing more serious had come out of Cooper's minor injuries, but Fiona wasn't saying a word as they drove down the busy London streets. They arrived fifteen minutes later. Marissa trudged behind Fiona up to the fourth floor of the hospital. Fiona stopped, blocking the door to Cooper's room. Marissa cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay, now, what I'm about to tell you is…shocking and you may want to…react badly. That's all right if you but, don't hurt me."

"Fiona what the bloody hell are you going on about?"

"Marissa, that Jane Doe in there….she's your mother."

* * *

"Are you….what? She's…alive?" Marissa pushed passed the thin Fiona and stormed into the room, past Cooper's bed and over to where her own mother was laying.

"I'll be damned." Jen said, looking over her now teenage daughter.

"Mum? You…you're dead. You died out in Qatar in the fricking desert!"

"I know…look…if you knew what I did…"

"What did you do that you had to fake your own fucking death?" Marissa yelled. Jen prepared herself for the blow up of emotions that was sure to happen once Marissa knew the whole truth

* * *

Cooper took the chance to slowly get out of bed and leave the mother and daughter pair to 'bond'. More like he didn't want to be in there once Marissa knew the truth behind her father's death. He ambled out to where Fiona was standing out in the waiting area, taking a seat next to her. He noticed she was crying slightly. He took her hand and held her the best he could, broken elbow and all.

* * *

Marissa stared back at the woman who was supposedly her mother. Jennifer had just finished telling her the entire truth. Marissa didn't know what to say or what to do or anything. She just stood still in time and space, barely breathing in and out. She was almost lifeless except for the oxygen going through her body.

"Marissa?" Jen called out in a near whisper. Marissa snapped to attention. Anger, rage, and hatred filled her blood. A fierce look crossed Marissa's face.

"I never want to see your face ever again."


	11. Home Sweet Home

CHAPTER 11:

Fiona looked up after hearing a door open. She saw Marissa storm out of it, head kept down, arms folded across her chest. Fiona got up to follow her. She lengthened her stride and Fiona had to jog to catch up.

"Marissa! What's going on?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone." Marissa uttered, getting into the elevator. Fiona watched as the doors shut, breaking her eye contact with Marissa.

* * *

Marissa rushed out o the hospital, tears building up in her tear ducts, wanting to fall badly. She held them back with all her will power. She couldn't believe her own mother had shot her father, all for money. She knew her mother's job involved killing, but killing her own _husband?_ That was way past the norm. Marissa wanted to break something, to vent her frustration. If only her parents had not gone off to Qatar, she would have lived a normal life. It wasn't that she didn't love Fiona and Cooper but it wasn't the same as having her biological parents. Fiona tried her hardest, but she really, really wasn't mother material. Throughout her life, Marissa had always had questions about stuff, but she never felt completely comfortable asking Fiona, fearing she would get rather uncomfortable and awkward about it. Marissa had sought her answers from her close friends, and they seemed to get her by. Cooper on the other hand, had been a somewhat sufficient father-figure. He always helped her with school, gave her guidance when she needed it and taught her a lot about cars considering he owned like twenty of them in the garage at his apartment. Thinking of said apartment, Marissa went to the bus stop and decided to take a visit to good old 316R.

* * *

Fiona walked back into Cooper and Jennifer's room. He was writing in his journal as usual and she was looking abstractedly out the window. The doctors had meanwhile been in and removed more of the bandage on her face. She now only had half of her face covered. Fiona saw the one cut. It wasn't too bad, one that wouldn't require immense stitches. Suddenly, a new doctor walked into the room. Fiona looked at him from her seat. He was tall, had dirty blonde curly hair, and was middle aged.

* * *

"Hi Ms. Mui, I'm Dr. Mark Sloan, head of plastic surgery here at St. Mary's." He took out her chart. "It says here that you wanted me to come down and stitch up your face instead of some one else."

"Yes, I'd like there to be no scarring."

"Okay, now you do realise that this isn't covered by your insurance, correct?"

"Yes, I do know. The man who got me into the accident is paying for it." Jen smirked as she cast a glance over at Cooper who smiled awkwardly. Dr. Sloan nodded, closing the binder that was her chart. "Okay, well, I'll take you into an in-patient procedure room and we'll get this done, all right?"

"Good. It's about time."

* * *

Marissa arrived at Cooper's old apartment block after a half an hour bus ride across town. She arrived at his front door, reaching into her purse, fetching her keys. Cooper had let her have one, in case she couldn't find him and he was asleep here or in the back at the garage. She let herself in, the smell of overused Febreeze filling her nostrils. It was a pumpkin spice smell, one that he used around Thanksgiving and Christmas. She walked in further, closing the door. She couldn't be bothered to turn on the lights as she flopped down into the bed. She pulled the covers over her and slowly fell asleep.

* * *

An hour had past and Jen finally returned to her room, her face only bandaged in places where she just had it sutured. Fiona could finally see just how much she had aged over the last decade and bit. She started to get the wrinkles that women in their forties had; bird's feet around the eyes, and more severe laugh lines. Other than that, nothing much had changed. She was still pretty near the same. Fiona set down the magazine she was reading and went over next to Jen's bed. Jen was still looking rather distant after Marissa had gone.

"You all right?"

"No. My own daughter hates me."

"Can you blame her?" Jen turned her head and stared Fiona directly in the eyes.

"I suppose not. But…she didn't know her father anymore than she didn't know me…Maybe she'll come around."

"I hate to say this but, I really doubt that." Fiona said worriedly. "Like you, she's stubborn as a mule and one her mind is made up, there is absolutely no changing it."

_

* * *

Three Weeks Later…_

"Well Ms. Mui, your CT scans show that the bleeding that had occurred in your brain after the accident is clearly been resolved and also, the bleeding in your abdomen is gone as well. You should be clear to go home." Dr. Shepherd stated in a crisp clear voice. Jennifer smiled.

"It's about time."

* * *

Jennifer called a cab and went back to her own house. It didn't feel like home much, considering she had only lived in it for three years. She walked in. Fiona wasn't home, but Cooper was. His arm was still in a cast from forearm to upper arm, holding it in an 'L' shape. He was walking with better coordination and he appeared to be doing quite well.

"It feels so weird to be here and to call this place home. I've barely lived here."

"Yeah…listen, we've been living here for the past twelve years….all our stuff's in the main bedroom and…"

"It's fine Cooper, I'll sleep on the couch. This place is practically yours now anyway."

"We paid the mortgage with the money you and James put together." Copper retorted.

"Okay, you did but still. You've lived here more than I have so…I'll take the damn couch." Jen laid down on the leather couch, kicking her feet up on the arm rest. "Where's Fiona and Marissa?"

"Fiona's out looking for Marissa. I know exactly where she is though so it's all right. Fiona's worried sick but…the girl needs her space."

"Where is she?"

"In my apartment. I gave her a key a long time ago in case she ever needed space, especially since her and Fiona had been fighting a bit back then."

* * *

  
"Fighting?" She asked curiously, turning her head so she was looking at Cooper.

"Yeah…the usual stuff; fighting over the state of her room, the way she dressed, what she did after school…that kind of thing."

"Oh. I thought you meant she was being difficult."

"To Fiona, that was difficult to the extreme. It had even brought her to tears once." Cooper chuckled. "But they got over it. That was last year. Now it's…" He paused.

"What? Me? I know. But I want to make things work out, I really do. If it takes her another year to speak to me, so be it. At least she would be speaking to me."

"You have a valid point. But can I ask you something?" Cooper meandered into the living room, sitting down on the love seat on the other side of the room.

"Go ahead." Jen watched him as he gave her a look. "Do it. I've got nothing to hold back."

* * *

"Why? Why'd you shoot him?"

"Well…I mean we had been fighting ever since we arrived. He had done a whole lot of pre-organising behind my back without asking first. I told him we were doing it freelance and he went to the Allied Nations instead. It was that, and the contract he arranged to do that I refused and then we got into a really big fight after I used these…" Jen looked down at her breasts. "To negotiate a better payment from the Saudi Arabians. He got mad and so did I and then he called me…a…" Jen bit down on her lip, sighing as she closed her eyes. James' voice echoed in her head, the words embedded in her mind. "A vindictive, manipulative, bitch." Cooper winced.

"Wow." It was all he had to say. He knew now why she had been so angry. Why she actually went through with pulling the trigger, well, he was sure she'd explain that too.

"So, how'd that lead to you putting a bullet in his head?"

"Well I did the contract and he happened to be lucky number twenty-five; the last one keeping me from my one hundred forty five million. And as I looked through the scope, I recognised him, but…I didn't see him as the man that I loved and married and bore his child. I saw him as another stupid A.N. soldier and it was almost second nature to pull it on him. I never even found his body, considering the force knocked him back so far into the bushes at the side of the road. Oh God…" Jen rubbed her face. Cooper nodded.

"I get it." Jen pulled away her hand and raised an eyebrow.

"You do?" She exclaimed.

"Yeah. It might be ethically wrong, but you had to do what you had to do and what he said, that was…unforgivable. So…yeah…I get it." Cooper shrugged casually.

"You're the only one. Maybe you should try and get through to my daughter and Fiona."

"I'll see what I can do."


	12. Nothing Left

CHAPTER 12:

Jennifer had been crashing on her couch all week, and still Marissa had not yet come home from Cooper's place. Jen finally decided to go and try to talk to her daughter, hoping that maybe Cooper had been able to speak some sense into her.

When Jen got off the bus at the familiar apartment block of 316R, rain started spitting sporadically from the greying sky. She approached the door, knocking against it softly. A few moments later, the door opened.

"Hello? Mum?" Marissa spat.

"Marissa, I wanted to talk to you."  
"Go away!" Marissa turned, slamming the door in Jen's face. Jen stood on the step, scowling for a moment more before she decided to be a little more determined. She prepared herself mentally and kicked the door in. It cracked open and inside stood a surprised Marissa.

"I told you, go away!" She whined as she started walking towards her room.

"No! I am talking to you whether you like it or not! And I need you to listen to me!"

"What don't you understand? I don't want to speak to a _murderer_!" Marissa shouted. Jen was stunned

"Marissa Taylor!" Jen shouted back at her.

"Oh, don't middle name me! Ok? I HATE YOU!" Marissa screamed.

"W-what?"

"I hate you! You're not my mum!"

"I am your mother! I was the one who gave you your god damn life and…"

"And you KILLED my father!"

"I…" Jen paused, gathering herself. "Okay, so I _did._ But that doesn't change the fact that you are _my_ daughter!"

"NO! You are not my mum. Now, leave me the bloody hell alone, _JENNIFER!_"

* * *

Jen stood still in complete shock, her ears doubting what her daughter had just yelled. Marissa gave her one last final hate-filled glare before locking herself into the bathroom. Jen felt absolutely void of anything; no feelings, no pain, no nothing. Jennifer sighed sadly in defeat. She turned around slowly. Part of her wanted to stay, and the other part of her felt like there was nothing worth staying for.

Jen returned to home. Fiona and Cooper were at home, eating dinner. Jen begrudgingly joined them. Fiona noticed something was up, but felt it was better to not ask. She would wait until Jen confided in her. However, Jen remained quiet right until she finished her meal.

"Listen, I…things with Marissa, and I…look, I want you two to have this house. You need it more than I do now and…she wouldn't live with me if you paid her."

"Jen, that's…you can't do that." Fiona objected.

"No, I want to. You two deserve it. I'll move out, get an apartment, not necessarily a penthouse one but an apartment and then Marissa can come home from Cooper's. It'll just be easier on all of us."

"All right, if you say so and want to, then we'll take it." Cooper answered for the two of them. He was glad that Jen gave them the house, but at the same time, he almost saw it coming.

* * *

Jen gathered her things, and put them in her Mini Cooper that Cooper had brought up from his garage for her. She packed her clothes and other things in the trunk and drove off to downtown London. Before she was going apartment hunting, she was going out to get a drink. She arrived a short while later at a low-key Irish inn and pub. She walked in; the place was nearly empty. She took a seat at the grungy bad counter, sitting on a stool that creaked under her weight. The bar man looked over his shoulder, averting his eyes from the football match on the tele.

"Aye, what can I get ya lassie?"

"I'll take a whole bottle of tequila." Jen forked over about twenty or so pounds from her wallet. "And if at all possible, a room upstairs?"

"I can do that. And for buyin' the whole bottle, your room is free. Now, drinking a whole bottle; either you're alcoholic or you're really damn depressed."  
"You have no idea." Jen replied, pouring her first shot. She took it down in one mouthful and poured another. The amber liquid settled in her glass before she took another drink. The bartender watched her take three shots back before she paused and asked for a glass of water. He felt obligated to get it as fast as he could, figuring this was the best money he had made on one person in months. She took her water with a sigh, gulping it down too.

* * *

"So, can I ask you what's wrong?" He asked calmly. She looked at him.

"My husband's dead because of me, my daughter has disowned me and my life sucks."

"Aye, that's bad."

"No shit. You know it's bad because I'm here, drinking in an _IRISH _pub." Jen argued boisterously, drinking her fourth shot of the night. The bartender just walked over to the other side of the bar to serve another man. He had had people in like this before; their anger soon disappeared once their poison set in. He waited until she had nearly finished the bottle. He closed up the bar, leading the drunk woman to her room. He gave her a key and left to go to his own bedroom above the bar.

* * *

Jen woke up several times, barely knowing where the hell she was. It slowly came back each time just before she passed out again. Then finally, she woke up for good at eight o'clock. She felt like utter crap. Hungover to hell and back. Then, the words of her daughter came back to her. '_NO! You are not my mum. Now, leave me the bloody hell alone, JENNIFER!_ 'Jen sighed groggily, pulling the near empty bottle from under her bed. She drank down the remaining liquid straight out of the bottle and went back to sleep. She had nothing left; nothing at all but her friend named tequila.


	13. Caught In The Undertow

**This chapter contains Mature Sexual Content. Reader Discretion is advised.

* * *

**

CHAPTER 13:

Marissa finally came home a week after Cooper had told her Jen had moved out to an apartment. However, Marissa was everything but sociable. She was reclusive, only coming down out of her room to eat her meals. Cooper was worried about her, and finally, he decided she needed to see a therapist, someone she could openly talk to about her feelings. He told Marissa when she came down the stairs for lunch that they were all going out somewhere. At first Marissa resisted but Cooper told her she had to as it was important. Later, when they arrived at Dr. Wyatt's office, Marissa suddenly knew what this was all about.

"What the bloody hell? I don't need a shrink."

"Yeah you do. You've been holed up in your room for the past week since you came back from my place."

"He's right Marissa." Fiona said from the front passenger seat of the Aston Martin DB9. Marissa scowled as Fiona let her out of the car, pushing her seat forward enough to let the girl slip out. Marissa walked in and was taken in right way to see Dr. Wyatt.

* * *

"So…Cooper?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought you said you were gonna get rid of this car?" Fiona asked curiously, looking at Cooper as he pulled around behind the doctor's built-in practice house. He parked it and set the parking brake.

"Well…Aston Martins are too heavy, too slow sometimes, and everyone thinks that you're trying to be a James Bond wanna-be. But they are pretty. Kind of like a girl that I know." He winked, grinning. Fiona smiled broadly, leaning forward and kissing him softly.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too."

* * *

Cooper reached out, putting his hand on Fiona's chin drawing her into a deeper kiss. He stuck his tongue softly on the surface of her cherry chap-stick covered lips. He pushed it in deeper, her tongue moving forward to greet his. She sighed inwardly, unbuckling her seatbelt, keeping her lips to Cooper's. She turned her body, her hips facing the right side of the car. Cooper also undid his seatbelt and adjusted the steering wheel to its highest setting, giving him more leg room. He pulled away, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Fiona winked, quickly taking off her black t-shirt, throwing it on the floor of the car. Cooper hit the lock button on his keys, the locks on the doors clicking into place. He pushed his seat back, unbuckling his belt, shedding his jeans like water down a waterfall. He moved to the back seat and by then he was fully erect, showing through his underwear. Fiona grinned playfully, unbuttoning her jeans, throwing them to the floor too. She crawled carefully over the centre console, watching that she didn't scratch anything. She straddled Cooper, allowing him to enter her right away. He slanted back in the seat as far as he could go horizontally. Fiona moaned as she started thrusting her hips forward, her hands resting on Cooper's shoulders. He still had his shirt on, but it wasn't in the way of them so he left it. He reached forward and started feeling up Fiona's breasts, feeling each in turn in her black bra. Fiona leaned her head down, kissing him voraciously, softly tugging ion his upper lip with her teeth. He wrapped his arms around her rear, pulling her faster and faster.

* * *

The two continued in this manner for quite sometime, not noticing the slender teenaged girl approaching the car from the doctor's office.

* * *

Marissa walked over to the black Aston. She went to pull the door open, but it was locked. She walked around the front of it, and neither Cooper nor Fiona was sitting in the car. She peered in the car and thought she saw something move in the back seat. Then she heard someone moan loudly.

"Oh bloody hell! Are you kidding me?" Marissa exclaimed. She shook her head and decided to take the bus home instead of waiting for her godparents to 'finish' what they had started.

* * *

Fiona pulled away from Cooper and checked her watch. It was six o'clock almost.

"Shit, her appointment must be over by now!" Fiona said, gathering her clothes in a panic. Cooper panted, recovering. They had continued making out on the floor of his car, quite intensely. He grabbed his jeans and slid back into the driver's seat. Fiona did the same on the left hand side, pulling down the sun visor, fixing her blonde hair that had gotten quite messy in their romp. They waited and waited, and to no avail, Marissa didn't come. Cooper decided to call her.

"Hello?"

"Yeah where the hell are you?" He asked worriedly.

"At home. You and Fiona must have been bored."

"Oh…." Cooper fell silent, cringing that she had come out when they were in the middle of getting it on.

"Yeah…can you hurry up and bring something for dinner home? There's nothing to eat here."

"Right. I'm on that." Cooper hung up his phone, red blushing his face.

"Well….this is going to be awkward at home." Fiona added, pushing shut the visor.

"So? She knows we're together and people who are together have sex. It's a part of life."

"Don't be giving her any ideas now." Fiona warned. Cooper chuckled.

"I'll try not to."

* * *

_Two Months Later…_

"Have you heard anything from Jen? I'm starting to get worried." Fiona asked, sitting down in her office chair. "She doesn't have a cell phone or anything. I haven't heard a word in two months!"

"I'll go out for a drive…she is driving around that conspicuous bastard of a Mini Cooper with that Union Jack on the roof."

"Okay…I hope to God she hasn't gone all rogue again."

* * *

Cooper took out his mean green Dodge Viper. It was the first time he had it out in a while, considering the English winter was just finishing. He drove all through town, testing it out on the main streets. The engine roared as he got it up to one hundred kilometres down a high way. Eventually, he pulled into mainstream down town London. Suddenly, that's when he saw it; the familiar electric blue Mini with the Union Jack on the top. It was parked in front of a pub called _'WYFEY McBEATIE'S'_. It looked to be an Irish pub and inn. Cooper pulled up to the side of the small side street and parked the car. He ventured inside to the dark place. It was damn near empty except for the bartender.

"Aye, what can I get for you sir?" The fat man called out. He had the archetypical red hair of an Irish guy with a goatee on his double chin.

"Look, I'm looking for a woman named Jennifer Mui? Her car is parked outside there and…"

"Aye, I know who you're talking 'bout. She's not in trouble is she?"

"No…I'm a good friend of hers."

"Oh, I see. Well she's been staying here upstairs for the past two months, payin' the rent by buying a bottle of tequila once a night. She's been holed up there for the past few days so I don't know if she's…" Cooper reached across the counter and grabbed the man by his shirt collar.

"Look, where is she?"

"Aye, she's upstairs, third room on the right. Please, put me down!" Cooper let go of him, charging up the stairs in a blur. He yanked at the door and when it didn't open, he kicked it open. A rush of air came at him. The smell of alcohol was ridiculously built up.

* * *

"Who the…bloody hell is…Cooper?" Jen mumbled. She was lying in her bed. Cooper walked over, narrowly avoiding tripping on a glass bottle.

"Jen, what the hell? What have you been doing here?"

"Drinking what…does it look like?"

"Well duh. But why?"

"My daughter disowned me, my husband's dead, and Fiona can't understand it. I have nothing left but my friend called tequila."

"Jennifer…you don't look so good." Cooper looked at the trash bin she had next to her bed. It had remnants of vomit stuck to the sides. She groaned, reaching for the bottle beside her bed. Cooper grabbed it out of her reach.

"Hey! Give that back!"

"Jen…seriously. Let's get you out of here and…" Jen suddenly lurched forward, leaning over the barf bucket. She retched, a bit of it missing the bucket. Cooper looked away but then he looked back and noticed that she had just vomited blood. Cooper quickly thought over his medical knowledge and nailed it down to one thing; cirrhosis, a liver disease, advanced further by the alcohol. "Jen, you need some serious help."


	14. And The Hangover Doesn't Pass

CHAPTER 14:

"Ms. Mui, you have what's called 'End-Stage Liver Disease'. Your addiction to alcohol has progressed it further. In order for you to get on the Donor list, you need to be sober for at least six months for you to be eligible. Unfortunately, the tests show that you don't have that long. So, unless you have a family member who is a match, and is willing to donate….there isn't much hope for you."

"Right…" Cooper sighed. He had brought Jen to the ER of St. Mary's Hospital where they had immediately admitted her and gave her the grim diagnosis.

"Cooper, I'm…"

"You brought this on to yourself. Apologise to your liver."

* * *

Jennifer decided that she should be the one to break the news to Fiona over the phone and let her know about the frail condition she was in.

"Fiona…" Jen explained her story through tear-welled eyes.

"You've done this unto yourself."

"I know." She sniffled. "Look if I can speak to Marissa, maybe we'd be able to start over. Maybe this is our chance to make things right."

"Good luck with that. I'll bring her to you, but I cannot promise _anything._"

* * *

Fiona drove Marissa to the familiar building that was St. Mary's hospital. They walked up to room fifty-four twenty-six. Marissa saw her mother, hooked up to a few machines, their functions unknown to her. She walked over and stood opposite the bed where Jen was lying. Her hair had been cut again since Marissa had last seen her. It used to be waist length, now it was back to her usual short shoulder length cut. Marissa glared into her mother's dark brown eyes that were now filled with a slight yellow discolouration from the jaundice she was experiencing due to her liver failure. Marissa sighed at the sad sight.

"You're pathetic." Marissa scowled. Jen sighed despairingly.

"I know…I've come to understand that. Listen…I don't deserve any sympathy, none what so ever." Jen admitted. Marissa stared back, still unimpressed.

"Damn right you don't, drinking yourself sick."

"I…you couldn't have imagined how much hurt and guilt and remorse and regret I was feeling." Jen finished in a hushed whisper. She bit down on her lip to prevent it from quivering. Marissa pulled up a chair to the side of her bed.

"Killing the man that you loved and married and is the father of your child will do that to you."

"God…I…" It was taking all that Jen had to hold back her sobs that were desperately seeking their way out of her throat. She inhaled slowly; the pain from her lack of liver function had started up again in her gut. She closed her eyes, hoping it would just pass. Marissa watched curiously. This whole time, she had thought about it all; could she really stay angry at her mother all her life?

* * *

"Marissa…this is…they say the only way I can survive is if I can get a transplant from a family member. They won't allow me on the list until I've been at least six months sober and even I know I don't have that long." She said in a raspy voice. She was dead tired and going into withdrawal from her now non-existing consumption of alcohol.

"Are you asking me to give you part of mine?" Marissa decided to go straight to the point of her mother's long and painfully drawn out conversation. Jen was slightly surprised.

"Yes, I am."

"No. Absolutely not." Marissa said as she started to leave the room.

"Wait! I know it's a lot but…this is the only thing I have and will ever ask of you. Hell, if I you do donate part of it, and still don't want to speak to me ever again, so be it. I just…I want to have a second chance at this. And this, this thing that I did to myself, gives me that chance as painful as it is. Marissa, if I die…that never solves anything. It gives me the easy way out." She panted. "I could have easily killed myself after I killed your father but…I didn't because of you. You were in my mind for all of those twelve years and…" Jen felt herself starting to cry as words rolled off her tongue. "I knew I fucked up, but…the love for that three year old waiting at home…it made me keep going. I…Marissa?" She cried softly. Marissa moved back to her chair. "Please, don't let me get out of this so easily. Please…" Jen was full out sobbing now. Marissa sat there, looking back in cold silence. If she gave part of her liver, her mother would live. Whether she wanted to have a healthy relationship with her mother or not, that would come with time. If she didn't give her liver, her mother would die in front of her very own eyes, she would suffer through it until her very last breath.

* * *

Marissa saw the desperation in her mother's eyes. It was a silent, guilt-ridden plea for help. Marissa sat there, her glance unable to be broken from her mother. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to hate her still, but it was becoming incredibly hard not to; she was her own mother. But in the circumstance that she was in, Marissa felt torn.

"I need to think about it."

"Okay…" Jen nodded, holding back more tears, trying to conserve her energy. "You do that, all right?"

"Yes…I'll be back, soon."

Marissa could barely keep the drops of tears in her eyes long enough to make it to the door. Fiona had been waiting outside in the waiting area, biting her nails nervously. When Marissa came out, Fiona stood up to greet her.

"So…" Instead of a reply, Marissa buried her face into Fiona's shoulder and started sobbing. "Oh God…I…" Fiona stopped talking, and instead embraced her, stroking Marissa's hair.

"I don't know what to do." She sobbed loudly. Fiona didn't know what to say. Fiona knew the circumstances, but what she didn't know was if her goddaughter was going to let her best friend die.


	15. The Unforgiven

CHAPTER 15:

An hour went past, and finally, Marissa had come to her decision. She had sat, staring at the white-faced clock that was hanging on the wall. It ticked and tocked loudly, blocking everything else out of her mind. All the noises of the hospital scene were blocked out of her ears, leaving her mind in peace. She had made her choice; whether it was the right one or not…she had her doubts.

Marissa walked over to her mother's room where Fiona had been sitting and talking with her. Fiona immediately stopped her conversation and left the room hastily. She wanted them to be alone, figuring Marissa had made her decision. Fiona had a gut feeling she knew what she had decided, and the outlook was rather grim.

"M-mum, I've made my decision."

"You have?" Jen gasped.

"I have." She replied softly, pulling a chair closer to the bedside. She sat, taking her mother's hand in her own.

"And?"

"I've decided that…yes, I will give you part of my liver. I will do the transplant." Marissa whispered through fresh tears. Jen sighed a sight of relief, yet it was still agonizingly sore. Jennifer wasn't sure if her daughter agreed so that she could, in fact, feel more remorse, guilt, and regret, or if she had come around and almost forgiven her.

"Is this because you want to see me live with the guilt longer?"

"Well…no. I've….I haven't quite forgiven you, but I just want my mother back." Marissa sniffled. Jen reached up the best she could and embraced her daughter. Both were shedding tears like pouring rain. Marissa had come out of her denial that her mother was dead to her, and Jennifer had been given a second chance to fix everything she had done wrong.

* * *

Marissa and Jen both talked with the general surgeon that would be performing the transplant. He admitted Marissa and after a few tests, sure enough, the mother and daughter pair were a match. Fiona had never felt so relieved that Marissa had made the morally correct choice. She couldn't help but join in the tear fest, crying tears of joy after hearing the news. She called Cooper and he walked in, unsure of what look to wear on his face. Fiona stood and greeted him with an immense hug, practically crushing his rib cage inwards.

"Hey, nice to…see you too." He breathed. She let go of him at last.

"I needed that. Sorry."  
"It's all right. So…Marissa, you're giving your liver for your mother?"

"I am." Marissa replied. "I've mostly…forgiven her. And her alcoholism was…I feel to blame for it."

"It's not your fault! It's mine! I was the one who was getting drunk every day for two months straight." Jen retorted.

"But mum, if I hadn't been so bloody stubborn then you wouldn't have been pushed to drink and…"

"It's all right…the moment we both wake up from the surgery, we are starting over. All right?"

"Yes." Marissa smiled. Fiona reached down subconsciously and took Cooper's left hand in hers. Everything was good now, and it was only bound to get better from then onwards.

* * *

The next morning, both surgeries were performed without a hassle. Daughter giving the liver and mother receiving the liver; it all went perfectly well, and even better when Jen's body accepted it quickly. Both were wheeled back to their shared room, sleeping off the rest of the anaesthetic.

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lobby of the hospital, a man with a baggy dark trench coat trudged in through the front glass doors, his left sleeve of the jacket hanging lifelessly by his side, his arm completely absent.

"Can I help you sir?" The nurse at the front desk asked. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm just fine. I'm looking for room fifty-four twenty-six."

"Oh. It's up on the fifth floor, second hall way, third room on the left."

"Thank you."

The man continued up the stairs, avoiding curious stares from others in the elevator. He rubbed his extremely stubbly face, the scratching noise made by his rough and calloused hands echoed in the empty stairwell. He carried on up the five flights of stairs without losing his breath. He pulled his shaggy black hair out of his eyes as he pulled open the door into the intensive care unit on the fifth floor. He proceed at a rather hurried pace to find room fifty-four twenty-six.

He stumbled in the room, without knocking, closing the door behind him. He walked over to the first bed that was farthest from the window and closest to him. He stepped over to the bedside, pulling out the Desert Eagle pistol that he had cleverly hidden in a holster where his left shoulder should have been. He looked over at the sleeping patient. She was recovering from a recent surgery, and the anaesthetic was just about to wear off.

* * *

Jennifer opened her eyes slowly. Waking up had never been this hard for her before, aside from when she had had brain surgery. Her throat was drier than dry and she felt overall like crap. But at least she knew she was alive and had the new liver inside of her. She then looked to her left and saw a pair of ice blue eyes staring back at her. A pair of ice blue eyes that she had never forgotten. A pair of ice blue eyes that had once belonged to her husband. A pair of ice blue eyes that belonged to a man, pointing a .50 cal pistol at her head.

"J-J-James? What? I…I…" Jennifer stammered, as her mind attempted to comprehend who the man beside her was.

"Thought you had killed me out in that desert, didn't you?"

"Well…er…yes."

"All because of three words, you went out and decided to kill me. Some marriage we had." He growled in a raspy tone.

"It was part of the contract. I had to eliminate twenty five Allied soldiers, and you happened to be number twenty five. You were the one who was keeping me from one hundred and forty five million dollars." James felt his eyes widen at her words as they escaped her supple lips. She had tried to kill him, all for a sum of money.

* * *

"You insatiable bitch."

"After what you said to me, I was done and you knew it." Jen grumbled back.

"But going so far as killing me? Un-fucking-believable."

"How did you survive?"

"Oh I thought you'd never ask. The wind carried the bullet; funny, you of all people should have been able to judge that."

"Everyone makes mistakes. But what I'm curious about is how did you not bleed out?"

"Well…after the bullet knocked me back into the bushes, I immediately tore off my shirt and stopped the flow of blood, also taking my belt as a tourniquet. It helped also that a scared little Qatar boy had been tending his goats when he saw me fly back. He somehow wanted to help so he led me to his father's farm where he drove me to the nearest hospital. I lost my arm in that explosion you set off, but I was alive."

"You lucky son of a bitch." Jen whispered, now in complete shock that after twelve years, the man who she had loved, and had 'killed' was now alive, and standing in front of her with a gun. "What I have to ask though, how come you didn't report back to Garrett at A.N.?"

"I knew they would claim me as MIA and then presumed KIA. I figured you would have taken your money and gone so…I'd go under radar too. Make you think that I was really dead. And now I'm back."

"I see."

"Yeah…" James slowly turned the safety off and cocked his gun. Jen glared at him through eyes of hatred.

* * *

"Fine, kill me…and I thought I had the guilt all to myself. You should see your daughter, she's all grown up." James paused, looking at her for a moment before raising his gun with his one hand. He knew the force was going to knock him backwards, so he braced his legs. He slowly started moving his finger, adding a little bit of pressure every millisecond. Jen closed her eyes, fearing that this twist on unexpected events was going to kill her, not her previously diseased liver.

"OI! WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU…DAD?"


	16. Never Too Late

CHAPTER 16:

Marissa stepped in between James and Jennifer. She had heard this man talking to her mother after she had woke up and she struggled to get out of bed. She wasn't supposed to be moving, let alone jumping in between two people who had tried and were about to try and kill each other. She wasn't sure how she knew it was her own father, but when she stepped in front of him, she saw her own blue eyes staring back at her. James couldn't believe his very own eyes. It was in fact, his own daughter that had moved in between him and killing his 'wife'.

"I thought you had killed…." Marissa stopped, noticing the lack of her father's left arm. She rapidly looked between the two of them. She put two and two together that her mother thought she had killed him when she had merely hit him in the arm, blowing it clean off. Marissa then looked at the big hand gun in his hand and gave him a dark glare. "You wouldn't dare."

"Marissa…I…God it's been so long."

"No shit." She replied bitterly. James slowly lowered the gun, clicking the safety back on. He sighed, glaring into his wife's eyes. They were still technically married, but one could argue that 'Until death do us part' came true. James didn't know what to do, still standing there in front of his now teenage daughter. He couldn't believe how much she looked like her mother. Other than the eyes, she was Jen's spitting image.

* * *

Fiona had taken a walk after waiting for Jen and Marissa's surgeries to be finished. She started heading up the stairs to the fifth floor. Cooper had gone home to go drive another one of his cars, leaving her alone. She proceeded to fifty-four twenty-six when she saw a scene that she could barely comprehend; James Holt, previously thought to be dead was standing over Jennifer's bedside with Marissa in between them. He was still holding onto the silver gun. Fiona rushed in.

"What the HELL is going on? James? What? You…are supposed to be dead!"

"So is she." James growled his voice raspy all of a sudden. He lifted the gun again, but slowly put it back down in the holster.

"Whoa, hold on a second. You lived?" James showed her his missing arm. She cringed at the sight. "And so you didn't bother to show up either. It's nice of both of you to do so. Give me the gun." Fiona demanded strictly. "You all are going to work it out…without killing any one." James sighed, defeated. Fiona glared at him, daring him to refuse her. Finally, he gave her the pistol in its holster. She carried it out of the room, closing the door behind her. The fog of awkwardness blanketed the room quickly as glances were cast from each member of the Mui-Holt 'family'.

* * *

"What the bloody hell?" Marissa exclaimed. "Both of you…I can't believe this! You…I mean…why didn't you come back?" Marissa felt tears welling up in her eyes; tears of pain.

"I…" James started but in all honesty he had no idea what to say to the girl standing in front of him who was his daughter.

"You bastard! And now you wanted to come back and kill her? For what? Revenge? You fucking bastard!" Marissa cried out. Jen kept her straight face, eyes narrowed. She too was not sure how to feel about it all. Jen felt that even though she had come to live with what she did, old feelings had risen in the past ten minutes since she had know that James was alive. She still felt the hate that she had at the time, but at the same time she felt…the love that they once had.

Marissa stood for another moment, when suddenly, she collapsed to the floor.

"Marissa?" James reached down, checking that she was okay. Marissa groaned in pain. Jen reached over and hit the 'call' button for the nurse. Immediately, a nurse came in, helping Marissa back into bed. She soon discovered that because of the stress of her activities, her stitches had opened up. The nurse called in an intern and shortly they were wheeling her off to repair the break, leaving Jennifer and James alone.

* * *

"God…I hope she's all right." Jen whispered, mostly to herself, looking out the window of her room. She wanted James to get the hint that she had come back and was still a decent mother.

"Yeah…" James looked over at her. She was still technically his wife and he was still technically her husband. "So are we…"

"Are we what?"

"Getting a divorce or…are we gonna try and make things work or?"

"Well considering you debated killing me ten minutes ago, I'd say a divorce should be in order. However…I…For our daughter's sake…could we…try?"

"Wait…_you _want to try and save this? After what happened in Qatar?" James replied, pulling out a chair to sit in. He leant down on his arm, watching her intently through stray strands of his shaggy black hair.

"To be honest…I want us to try." Jen felt her emotions welling up in the back of her throat. "After twelve years, I came to live with I did and everyday…I thought of you."

"Yeah…everyday I thought about how much I wanted to kill you…for the first two years anyway. Then everything went numb."

"James I…I cannot apologise enough." Jen sniffled. He shrugged. "I'm serious."

"No kidding." He looked at the empty sleeve hanging lifelessly by his side.

"Please? I'm only asking this once. If you say no then…you say no, but please think of me, think of your daughter."

"Look…how about this…you and Marissa recover from these surgeries you had and come home and then we'll talk."

"All right. We shall talk then."


	17. I Like The Way It Hurts

**This chapter contains Mature Sexual Content. Reader Discretion is advised.**

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* * *

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CHAPTER 17:

_One Month Later…_

"It's good to be back." Jen said, sitting on the Cooper and Fiona's couch. She was waiting for James to arrive. They were going to have their talk about their marriage and everything. Fiona and Cooper decided to leave them be. Fiona had talked to James and told him that if he tried to get his revenge; she would take away his manhood with a fork. Jen waited anxiously, until finally the door bell rang. She got up in a hurry and answered it. It was James, clean shaven and short haired.

"Hi…"

"Let's get this over with." James muttered, brushing past her. Jen closed the door slowly, following him into the living room. He flopped down on the couch on the end farthest away from the door. Jen gracefully sat down opposite him in one of the chairs.

"All right…so it's been a month. I still would like us to try. Honestly try. But…"

"Listen…it's been twelve years since you 'killed' me. You were on the run for that time, and I was hiding out in that damn desert with only one arm. We split up in the first place because I was angry and said a few bitter things. And now, after all that you want to be back together again?" Jen bit down on her tongue. She stared into his eyes from across the room.

"Yes. Not just for Marissa's sake. I meant for us…and what we had…I…I've been alone. All this time. For twelve years, I have not been with another man." Jen admitted softly. It was true…she had been alone.

"Oh…that's surprising."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jen retorted haughtily, crossing her arms.

"Come on…I mean…you've still got it…I mean, you're obviously attractive, considering you hooked me from the day that we met. And…still have a hook on me now." Jen's scowl softened to a flirtatious smile. She felt she had almost forgotten how to pull off any romantic interactions after so long of being alone. She got out of her seat and sat down on the other end of the couch. James watched her all the while, admiring how she really did still 'have it'. They locked eyes in utter silence.

"So…is this a yes for trying to save us and our marriage?"

"Uh…hell to the yeah!"

* * *

Jen crawled forward, a wicked grin escaping her lips as she moved her way over to James' side of the couch. He winked, waggling his eyebrows as he reached for her waist. He pulled her hard, causing her to collapse on top of him, their lips meeting in the fall. She closed her eyes, feeling the taste of him after twelve long years without. She went deeper in the kiss, prodding his lips apart with her tongue. He fought back, his tongue intertwining with hers, fighting for control. He slowly started taking off her black tank top from the bottom up. Jen fought against him, squirming to get out of his grasp. She wanted to be difficult. He wanted to be rough. If he had to fight for it, he would fight like hell. She dug her nails into his right arm, pushing him down. James fought back, ripping the shirt off her back quite literally. She pulled away from him, anger flashing in her deep dark eyes. She went back at him, sucking hard on his neck, leaving a screaming red mark. He chuckled, seeing her breasts waggle in their bra in front of his eyes. He then leaned forward, sucking on her chest, biting down delicately. She reached down, feeling his crotch within his denim jeans. She gave him a squeeze, making him groan in pain. He pushed her back and she landed hard on the other side of the leather couch. He leaped forward, pouncing on top of her, all the while shedding his shirt. Jen reached up, feeling the stubby end of his left shoulder. It was odd that it was missing but it didn't stop her. She reached forward, unzipping the fly on his jeans, pulling them off easily. He swooped down, unbuttoning her pants with his mouth, tickling her bare stomach with his newly cut hair. Jen gasped, feeling his tongue touch the sensitive skin on her pelvis. He yanked the material away from her and let them fall to the floor that was already littered with articles of clothing. He started working his way down, kissing her navel, down to her vagina, adding more and more tongue as he got farther down. She further spread her legs, allowing him much more room to invade. She pushed his head farther down, closer to her. He started adding more and more tongue, making Jen moan louder and louder. He pulled away suddenly, teasing her, wanting her to get angry. And angry she was.

* * *

She jumped forward, causing James to fall to the floor. She started making out with him furiously, her taste lingering in his mouth. She straddled him roughly, elbows digging into his chest as she lowered herself on to his stiff cock. He leaned back down, groaning as she started trusting extremely quickly, throwing her hips forward and backwards rapidly. She started panting as she did so. She sat back, letting him go deeper inside of her. She looked down at him, and slapped him hard across the face. He fought back this time, giving her ass a hard slap with his remaining arm. She let off a squeal, socking him in the rib cage. He gasped, digging his hand into her side, reaching up and biting her left breast. She squirmed, and the pair rolled over. James took the opportunity to be the man in charge that he was. He pinned her against the couch the best he could, rolling her so she was now kneeling on all fours. He entered her again, penetrating her from behind. He grabbed onto a chunk of her hair, yanking it in time with every thrust. She groaned, biting down on her lip. She reached behind her, and gave his balls a squeeze, causing him to repel backward. She took the chance to again, pounce on the one-armed man.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fiona and Cooper were returning from Cooper's apartment. Fiona suddenly heard something fall and break. She rushed to the door, struggling to find her keys to open it. Then Cooper saw through the front window what was going on. He calmly walked up to Fiona and touched her gently on the arm.

"What?"

"Trust me…don't open that door."

"Why?"

"Because…they're not killing each other. They're having crazy carnal off the wall monkey sex." Fiona stared back wide-eyed.

"Oh…" She said, putting away her keys, blush creeping across her face.

"We could…erm…you know…back at my place. Marissa won't be home for another few hours…" Cooper suggested. Fiona took his hand.

"Deal."

* * *

Jen had knocked over the lamp on the side table, breaking the light bulb. But she couldn't care less. She was so close to having an orgasm for the first time in so long that she wouldn't give it up for anything. James was barely able to hold himself back and soon enough, he climaxed.

"Oh god Jennifer….oh god…that was…"

"Amazing!" She replied, feeling her inner muscles contract, sending her into orgasmic bliss. She fell back on the floor, lying next to James.

"That was so worth it."

"Worth what?"

"Almost worth getting my arm blown off and not having you for all that time and that anger and…."

"Yeah….God I missed you." Jen panted, caressing his face.

"Me too."


	18. Family Ties

CHAPTER 18:

"Marissa?" James called out softly. Marissa turned and looked at her father. She had been reading a book in her favourite chair in the corner of the living room. James walked in, taking a seat on the couch. "What are you reading?"

"Just a book." She set her bookmark in the page, closed it, and sat it down on the side table. James looked at her; she really was the spitting image of him and Jen. "What's up?"

"Nothing much…I just…I want to get to know you. I mean, the last I remember of you was that you hated eating mashed peas and loved the carrot formula of baby food and hated it when Fiona tried to feed you when your mother and I weren't home."

"Well if this isn't small talk, I don't know what is."

"There's one thing."

"What?"  
"You've got a witty tongue like your mum."

"Whatever." Marissa stood up to go to her room.

"Wait! Please, sit down." James begged. Marissa sighed with a scowl attached and flopped herself back into the chair, throwing her arms down the sides. "So…do you erm...have a boyfriend?" James asked nervously.

"Oi! No! Are you kidding me? All the guys I know are a bunch of horn dogs who want nothing more than a piece of ass!" Marissa retorted, stifling a giggle. "And they're all ugly buggers too!"

"Ohhh ok, so I don't have to give anyone a talk. That's good." James chuckled, feeling a little more relaxed. Marissa smiled.

"I guess that once you're a dad, you're always one, right?"

"Yes."

"If you want to know more about me…let's see…I'm a math nerd, a science buff, and a history junkie. I also love the athletics at my school. I'm on three teams; field hockey as you Americans call it. Also the rugby team and swim team. Maybe that's why I don't have a boyfriend?"

"Oh…yeah maybe that's why. Maybe you just need to find one that's as smart as you and stop looking at the idiots." James suggested with a husky grin. Marissa kicked him softly in the shin.

"Oh hush!" She giggled.

"Anyways, I'm off to bed. Good night." James smiled, reaching forward to embrace his daughter. She stood forward and hugged him back.

"G'night dad."

* * *

James snuck his way into bed. He was still by himself, considering that even though he and Jen had kind of "made up", it was still awkward to sleep in the same bed. He had taken the spare room in what was now Fiona and Cooper's house. Jen apparently had an apartment somewhere and that's where she was staying for awhile. James stared up at the ceiling. At least one of the two most important women to him was trying to get back into his life. The other one, well…she would take some 'real' convincing to fully trust him once more.

* * *

Jen climbed the four flights of stairs up to her apartment that she had barely been in. Since she had become a raging alcoholic at WYFEY McBEATIE'S, she had never gone back to it. Now though, she was happy to have it. As much as she wanted to share her bed with James, she knew that if they moved that fast on repairing their relationship, fights were bound to occur. Also, she knew that there was absolutely no alcohol in her fridge that could potentially tempt her. She was told by the doctors that she should never have any alcohol ever again. And it was not for her liver, it was for her disease of alcoholism.

* * *

Fiona slowly walked down the stairs after hearing James go to bed. She came down in her pyjama bottoms to see the one light on in the living room.

"Marissa, it's like 11:32PM…" She checked her watch that she hardly ever took off. "You should get some sleep." Marissa sighed softly to herself.

"I guess so." She set her book down again and got up. Fiona was standing in the hallway, arms on her hips, elbows jutting out away from her small frame.

"So?"

"So what?"  
"How are things between you and James?"

"Getting there." Marissa replied with a smile. She started walking up the stairs when Fiona turned round and grabbed her arm gently.

"If you need to talk at all, I'm here. Don't forget about me, all right?"

"I won't forget about you. Good night."


	19. Words Can't Be Taken Back

CHAPTER 19:

_A Month Later…_

"Aye, so your mum and dad both turned out to be alive? That's crazy!"

"I know." Marissa replied with a soft sigh. She and her friend Mallory were sitting in their fourth period English class. They had become friends since Mallory moved from Ireland and Marissa had recovered fully from her surgery. Luckily for Marissa, she had been privately tutored and was two weeks ahead of her class. As for Mallory, she had already done the Shakespeare play at her old school and knew exactly what happens. So, they could both afford to not pay any attention whatsoever.

* * *

Since Mallory was completely new to school, they put her in nearly all of Marissa's classes, except for Biology. The headmaster figured that the girls would eventually bond and help each other out and eventually become friends. And fast friends they had become.

"That's unbelievable." Mallory continued in a whisper as their teacher gave them an annoyed look.

"Yeah. I'm kind of glad though. I mean, my mum is better and my dad is pulling alongside her, even though he only has one arm."

"Aye! They still get along after all that?"

"Almost too well."

"What do you mean?" Marissa scowled.

"They seem to get it on every other night." The thought made her want to gag.

"I take it they're loud?" Marissa frowned.

"Unfortunately."

* * *

"So we are still good for tonight, right?" Mallory asked as they started walking towards Marissa's locker.

"Yep. You can finally meet my out of the ordinary parents once and for all. And Fiona and Cooper of course." Marissa smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Great. So how are we getting home then?"

"Cooper's supposed to be picking us up…as to what car he's driving…I have absolutely no idea."

* * *

They continued ambling towards the school's busy parking lot, avoiding some of the rambunctious boys running amok and the catty gossipy girls. Eventually, they arrived where Cooper usually picked Marissa up at the side of the lot. Marissa scanned around the cars, trying to spot his favourites like the Zonda or the Lamborghini. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the raging pink Camaro that belonged to Fiona. Fiona stared back and beeped on the horn, giving a wave out the window. The girls hurried over and Marissa pulled open the door, pulling her seat forward to let Mallory into the cramped bench seat in the back.

"I thought Cooper was getting us today." Marissa asked, as she slid down in the leather seat.

"Change of plans. He got a little tied up running an errand for your mum. Oh, hi. Sorry, I'm Fiona by the way. Fiona Taylor."

"Hi I'm Mallory."

"Anyways, both of your parents will be here for dinner. We're having Cooper's favourite; roast beef. And yes, he's cooking it, so you know it will be good."

"Good. I was going to be worried if you were in charge of the kitchen." Marissa chuckled as Fiona narrowed her eyes mockingly before turning out onto the main road towards home.

* * *

"All right, dinner will be done by six-thirty." Fiona called out to the girls as they headed upstairs to Marissa's bedroom. Mallory walked in, awed by everything contained in the room. The walls were painted a subtle shade of blue and the furniture was in a maple finish. There were paintings on the walls, portraits hung of family and pets, as well as several trophies. Many model cars lined her shelves.

"You've got such a cool room!" Mallory exclaimed, spinning around looking at everything, her brown wavy hair swinging with her.

"Thanks." Marissa replied sheepishly as she pulled out two bean bag chairs out from under her bed. The two sat down, the beans squishing in to accommodate their weight.

"So, what's the gossip? We've never got the chance to talk much, thanks to Mr. Weasley and his incessant ranting."

"I haven't heard much." Marissa said.

"Liar! Come on! All right, have you found any lads that are decently acceptable?"

"Blimey no! They're all a bunch of dogs! Thick as concrete some of them!"

"I guess you're right…but maybe you haven't found the right one."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marissa paused as Mallory started giggling. "Oi! Who is he, and what planet has he been living on?"

"Well, he's kinda of a…erm…nerd. But he's nice and he's cute!"

"Who!"

"George O'Malley."

"Oh come on! Another Irish guy? He's such…a nerd!"

"So! He plans on going to med school I'll have you know!" Mallory argued, folding her arms. "We've got a date tomorrow night."

"Awwww….I'll help you get ready for your nerd."

"Oh shut up! You're just jealous!"

* * *

Soon enough, 6:30pm rolled around and the girls went downstairs for dinner. Everyone else was already seated.

"There they are." Cooper said as he brought the roast to the table. The smells of the spices he had used filled the entire room ,wafting into everyone's nostrils. Mallory took a seat beside Marissa.

"Mallory, this is my mum and dad, Jennifer and James."

"Hi." Jen said friendlily, offering to shake her hand. Jen was happy that Marissa had made such a close friend. In most occasions, Marissa had almost preferred to be by herself. That all changed since she and Marissa had repaired their mother-daughter relationship.

"Mallory O'Brien-Devlin." Mallory shook hands with both Jen and James.

"Wait, do you have a relative named Ewan in you family by any chance?"

"I have an uncle Ewan. Me mum's older brother. He's a helicopter pilot."

"Oh…I worked with him once. Back in Venezuela."

"Really? Small world then." Marissa almost choked on her water. She remembered on her sixteenth birthday when she kissed the man for no logical reason. She put that memory out of head.

* * *

"So, mum, dad, we're still good for using the living room tonight right?"

"Wait a minute, who agreed to let them have a sleepover?" James asked defensively.

"I did!" Jen replied irately.

"I thought, as the marriage councillor said, we were _supposed_ to agree on everything _together._"

"James, seriously, this isn't something that…"

"I'm her father and I get a say in this too!" James cut her off, smacking the table with his fist. Jen glared daggers at him.

"Take this outside. Now." She growled through her teeth in a hushed but still fearsome tone. She got up and stormed outside. James sat for another minute while everyone had frozen in place. He grumbled something inaudible and crossly followed her out the back door onto the patio.

* * *

"Okay, now this is neither the time nor the place to argue over something so damn menial! Bloody Hell! She's allowed to have a sleepover with a friend! Girls do that kind of thing! I don't know why you are freaking out about it!"

"I'd like to have a say in this for once. Even the marriage counsellor said that you tend to take the lead without asking!"

"So? Grow some balls already and take the initiative!"

"I try but you keep shutting me down! I'd like to have a part in raising _our_ teenage daughter!"

"Ok, so why does this little sleepover have to do with it? Why bring it up _now_?"

"Because! You didn't bother to ask me about it!"

"I already promised them that they could have a sleep over. You'd be one mean arse bastard if you told that Mallory girl to go home. And not to mention your own daughter would be crushed."

"I don't care!" He retorted loudly.

"You're a fucking control freak!" James started towards the door. "Stop!"

"Who's the control freak here huh? No!"

"All right, you know what? I am done with this bull shit!"

"Wait, what?" He turned round, eyes widening by the second.

"I was still high as hell off the freaking aesthetic when I felt like I wanted us to try and save this lie of a marriage! And not to mention the pain meds! I couldn't make a proper decision if it was choosing between a breath mint and a Jolly Rancher! There was a reason I tried to kill you in the first fucking place!"

"You bitch!"

"Fucking bastard! We're done!"

* * *

"Jen, stop!"

"Don't tell me to stop! Get the hell out!"

"Bull crap! We don't even own this house anymore!"

"I gave it to Fiona and Cooper because at that time they needed it more than I did and you were still DEAD! Besides, my daughter wasn't speaking to me and…"

"_OUR _daughter!"

"You're not a dad! Every man can be a father…" A rumble of thunder in the near distance grumbled. "It takes a real man to be a dad!"

"I hate you!" James yelled, stepping back towards her. He reached out to grab her round the neck but she was far too quick for him and she gave him a good right hook square to his jaw. He stumbled to the side, catching his balance on the lawn chair. He recovered and lunged at her again.

"Get the hell away from me!"

* * *

Things had grown immensely quiet at the dinner table until they heard Jen screaming at James. Cooper excused himself and walked to the backyard. Fiona reached across the table and took Marissa's hand. She had teared up during the time since her parents had left the table. Mallory didn't know what she could say to help.

* * *

"I was right before; you are a fucking manipulative cunt!" James roared, his voice echoing through the air. Jennifer froze in place, pure abhorrence filling her veins, her blood boiling with rage and annihilation. She then saw Cooper open the glass sliding door and walked over to them.

"Hey, you're making your daughter feel like crap in there. Now, stop it, both of you or I will seriously kick your asses. James, Jen wants you to leave. Now considering she gave us this house, and also, what you just called her, I'm siding with her. And she looks like she could kill you in about thirty seconds so I suggest that you get the hell out of here. And I would leave before I let her actually kill you this time around with her own bare hands." James sighed, angrily admitting his loss before he turned around and left through the wooden gate into the backyard as the rain finally started to fall in dribbles. He knew now that their relationship was really finished this time. He killed it for real and he knew now that trying any life-saving measures were absolutely hopeless.


	20. There's Nothing Else I Can Say

**Warning: This chapter contains MATURE SEXUAL CONTENT. Reader Discretion is advised.**

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CHAPTER 20:

Jennifer felt herself starting to cry. She wasn't crying in sadness but of anger. Cooper moved so he was now facing her dead on.

"Are you…"

"I need a damn drink." She muttered.

"No! No you do not!" Cooper grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I…" Jen lowered her head and a quiet sob escaped from her throat and out her mouth. She leant her head down on to his shoulder, forehead resting on the edge of his neck. Now she was really upset. Cooper embraced her but pulled away fairly quickly. He gave her an encouraging little push towards the door and off they went inside. Fiona looked over after she heard the familiar noise of the patio door opening. She stood up from the table.

"Marissa, Mallory; you are allowed to stay over anytime as long as Fiona and Cooper don't need the living room for anything." Jen said as she started up the stairs. Fiona nodded to the two teens before she followed her best friend up the stairs.

* * *

"Jen?"

"What?"

"Do you need to talk about it?"

"No." Fiona leaned closer against the bathroom door, her ear pressed up against the indented part of the wooden design, hoping to hear Jen more clearly.

"Jen…Jen?" Fiona called as it went extremely quiet. She tried the door and surprisingly, it was unlocked. She pushed it open to see Jen sitting on the floor, leaning against the counter. Jen's cheeks were tear-stained, her eyes red, and her hair in an unruly mess. Fiona sat down and gave her a hug, wrapping friendly arms around her shoulders.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Fiona asked, sitting back with her wall against the counter cupboard door.

"It's just…what's there to explain?"  
"A hell of a lot."

"I tried to work it out. To be really honest, I did kind of miss him after Qatar."

"Was it James Holt that you missed, or was it just a 'man' in general?" Fiona shared a probing glance with Jennifer.

"The latter." Jen admitted.

"Ah."

"Marriages do fall apart. Ours was just so violent in nature and…"

"I _was _quite surprised when you decided to marry him in the first place."

"I was what I thought was 'in love'. More like a drunken ecstasy."

"And three years later…"

"I let it go on. I thought I was truly in love but...well, ignorance is bliss."

"It's all right. He's gone; crushed but out of here."

"I, Jennifer Mui, do not have committed relationships. Ever. Period. James Holt was a good example as to why I do not."

"That's why Cooper and I are never getting married."

* * *

"Hey, how long _have_ you been together?" Jen asked, changing the subject from her to Fiona.

"Almost thirteen years."

"Bloody hell!" She exclaimed in shock.

"We decided that it would be a heck of a lot easier to not be married, just in case anything ever happened, considering just how messy divorce is."

"One needs to be in order for me soon." Jen replied, crossing her arms.

"I'll help you through it, don't worry." Fiona reassured her.

"What about the guardianship? Do you think he'll want sole custody?"

"He could, but she is sixteen, so she will ultimately get to choose."

"You and Cooper are still her legal guardians though."

"Can I say something without you hitting me?"

"Go ahead."

"Personally, I never got on with James much. He was kind of an arrogant American ass."

"Well, he was kind of a hot piece of ass." Jen chuckled mischievously.

"He's not _that_ attractive!" Fiona laughed loudly.

"You've never seen him naked." Jen said demurely.

"I don't plan on it. Ever." Fiona snorted, giving Jen a playful shove at the shoulder.

"There are lots of hot guys out there, but personally, I think I'm going to be off men for a while."

* * *

"Just…let's not do what we did in India that one time; it doesn't really work for us now."

"Yeah…you're not lonely anymore. Hehe." Jen grinned. Fiona fell silent, smile fading from her lips. "Right?" Fiona blushed, thinking back to that one night. She and Jen had really pushed the boundaries of their friendship, but in a positive way.

"Of course not. Just as of late, he's been kind of reserved in his erm...actions." Jen rotated so she was sitting towards Fiona.

"Entice him into it. I believe if you raid my old closet you may be able to find something to entice him in." Jen winked.

"Good Lord." Fiona replied, her face landing in her palm. She stood up, shaking out her foot that had fallen asleep.

"If you are _that_ desperate, they are there."

* * *

Fiona in fact, was that desperate. She and Cooper hadn't had a bedroom romp and late night in a long while; two whole months to be exact. She didn't really think about it much, considering there was a 'family feud' going on. Fiona however realised after having a particular dream that her sex life had come to a pathetic, temporary, grinding halt. She decided that tonight would be the night.

She quietly rummaged through Jen's old closet, digging her way through endless pairs of shoes to get to the back. "Ah hah! Man…Jen must like her kink." Fiona said aloud to herself as she grabbed a black leather set of lingerie. "Hehe, this will do."

* * *

Later that night, Marissa left to go to Mallory's house for a girl's night in, watching chick flicks and doing manicures. Jen knew about Fiona's devious little 'plan' and left the house well in advance, leaving the excuse that she wanted to go out for dinner. In reality, she was leaving the house empty for Fiona to 'do' what ever she wanted with Cooper.

Cooper came in from the garage after going out and wining a few races out in the back streets. He was in a very good mood and he wanted to share it with the woman he loved most. He ditched his racing suit and changed back into his typical jeans and t-shirt. He quickly jogged up the stairs, first looking in the office. When he saw that Fiona wasn't there, he right away went to their bedroom. When he opened the door, his eyes immediately fell to the bed.

* * *

"Hey gorgeous." Fiona whispered in a sultry tone. Cooper took in the outfit she was wearing; a set of black leather lingerie with fishnet tights and tall black heels. He took one step forward, not before he felt himself go 'stiff' in the pants.

"H-h-h-hey." He stammered as she licked her top lip seductively slow. He closed the door, throwing the lock into place with a loud click. He knew exactly what she wanted and he quickly realised that he had been denying her from fulfilling that desire.

He shook off his loose fitting jeans and shirt and slipped off his socks before clambering up on the other side of the bed. He pounced on top of Fiona, pursing his lips to hers. He kissed her passionately; closed mouthed at first, then open. Spit started swapping between them moments later; their tongues thrashing around like two fish on dry land. Fiona moaned through the kiss, reaching down into his boxer shorts, salaciously pulling them down. Cooper was well prepared as always; he reached over to the side table, lips still attached and fished out a condom. Skilfully, he slipped it on himself before continuing to make his way down to her waist with his hands. He pulled the string on the bikini bottom, the heavy leather splitting open, revealing a triangle of soft curly blonde hair in between Fiona's thighs. He went down on her, his wild instincts fuelling his drive. He started utilising his tongue, up and down, left and right. It sent Fiona into a wonderland of pleasure, more so when he passed her clit. She let out a gasp when he then stuck his tongue inside her. He moved it in and out a few times before moving up on her and spreading her legs further with his knee. He entered her rather roughly, thrusting as deep as he possibly could.

* * *

Fiona leaned her head down, watching his face change from the emotionless blank look to a grin full of dirty satisfaction. He kept moving on, thrusting in a set rhythm. Fiona kissed him again, biting his lip gently. She reached around behind him and gave him a slap on the ass. He pulled back, a look of surprise on his glee-ridden face. Fiona grinned back, moving out from under him. She pushed him down dominantly and he obliged, lying flat out on his back, panting. She remounted him in a reverse cowgirl position, winking before she turned to face his feet, single-handedly undoing her bra clip. She started screwing him as hard as she could. Cooper felt himself about to finish when Fiona did first, screaming in ecstasy for that orgasm she hadn't felt in eons. He soon joined her and both collapsed in a heap of loose and sweaty limbs.

* * *

"Oh my god that was good." She whispered.

"Looks like I've won yet another time today." He panted in reply, holding Fiona close to him.

"Please, PLEASE don't ever hold off on sex for two months straight ever again."

"I promise I won't…oh and I realised that our thirteenth anniversary is coming up in the summer. How about I take you on a trip?"

"Where?"

"I hadn't got that far yet." He chuckled nervously. "But I've got this one place in mind. Just you and me, completely alone." Fiona smiled.

"Sounds like a damn good plan to me."


	21. Divorce Is Messy

CHAPTER 21:

"All right now Ms. Mui if you will sign here, that will finalise you and Mr. Holt's divorce." Jen quickly took the pen, scribbling out her name.

"Done."

"As of now, you are officially divorced. Luckily, you don't need to split up everything as you both have moved on and the godparents have inherited your old house." The lawyer said, looking at the couple who were sitting on the bench at the back of the room. He gave an anxious look to the pair standing in front of his desk waiting for a reply. When he didn't get one, he moved on. "And for custody of your daughter you are doing what exactly?"

"Sole custody." James interjected before Jen could get a word out.

"Whoa, hold it! We did not decide on _SOLE _custody! Bloody Hell! You've been around less than I have and _you_ want sole custody of Marissa? Seriously!" Jen exclaimed angrily. Cooper got out of his seat and walked over in between Jen and James.

"Hey, considering I practically raised her as her father, I believe that she wouldn't want straight up custody with you James."

"Screw off Cooper! You have no frigging idea!" James roared. Cooper clenched his fist.

"I was the one who was there for her after all those years of you being 'dead'! I went to every single game; every science fair and all that, and you just show up and expect to be her 'daddy'? Hell no, you're not getting sole custody of her, not if I can help it!" Cooper yelled back.

"Hey! Both of you quit it!" Jen growled. She didn't need this to be more complicated than it already was. Cooper backed down, but not before shoving his way past James to sit down on the back bench again.

"So it seems you _do _need to go to court to settle this after all." The lawyer said.

"Apparently." Jen grumbled. She couldn't believe the bastard; trying to take solo care of their daughter when he barely even knew her. Jen figured that she would win, considering he had nothing to defend his own case with.

* * *

After the group walked out, Cooper couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, seriously, what the hell? You can't just expect sole custody after what you've done! It doesn't work like that!"

"Would you just lay the fuck off already? She's not even your kid!" James shouted, getting closer in Cooper's face.

"You're a selfish bastard! If you think that I don't treat her like she's mine, you've got another thing coming!"

"Guys! Stop it!" Fiona screamed. But it was too late; James threw the first punch, hitting Cooper in the side of the jaw. Cooper went beet read in the face before he grabbed the man in front of him by the shirt collar. He lifted him slightly off the ground and started hitting him to gut. Then as James tried to fight back, Cooper slammed him into the wall of the lawyer's office building and kneed him in the crotch repeatedly. James couldn't breathe, but he fought back regardless, clawing with his only hand. Cooper reached into his jacket and pulled out his own .44 Magnum. He cocked it quickly, but before he could fire one round, Fiona grabbed him around the wrist.

"Cooper!" Fiona shouted in his ear. Cooper glared at James once more, letting go of the gun, discharging the chamber. He pulled Fiona's hand away and got in the front seat of his Zonda and before Fiona could follow him, he took off, tires squealing on the wet pavement.

* * *

"Damn it." Fiona sighed. Jen pulled out her keys.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"He won't get in trouble will he?"

"James started it; Cooper can claim it was self-defence." Jen explained as they got into the Aston Martin that she had recently purchased as an early birthday present to herself.

"Sure…I've never seen him so pissed off."

"Neither have I, but it's good to know that he obviously cares for Marissa's sake. James lacked that. Still lacks that. You've got yourself a good man Fiona, a very good man."

* * *

A few weeks went by and eventually all was settled in court, leaving Jen and James with split custody. As to whom Marissa spent most of her time with, was up to Marissa. Cooper and Fiona were also still allowed to take care of her if Marissa chose to.

Marissa walked in the front door, dropping her book bag down on the table in a slump. She went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of pop. She sat down on the cozy leather couch and turned on the television, mindlessly flipping through the channels. Suddenly, she heard a door slam shut and feet trampling down the stairs in a mad hurry. She looked around the corner and saw a man, struggling to put on his shirt rush for the door. He saw Marissa, gave a half smile and left. Marissa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Then she heard more footsteps on the stairs. She could only guess who they were.

"Mum, who was that?" Jen sighed loudly.

"No one."

"Don't lie. Who is he?"

"Some bloke who lives down the street."

"And let me guess, you invited him in for some 'company'?" Marissa said doubtfully.

"What does it matter?" Jen said, walking into the living room. Marissa folded her arms, glaring at her.

"Seriously? You've been divorced how long? And you're already back to screwing around with some random bloke?"

"So what? Am I not allowed?"

"It's been two weeks!"

"So?" Jen exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Never mind." Marissa went back to dismally watching the TV.

"I know you're upset, but I'm sure he's moved on too. Besides, I am never, ever, getting in a serious relationship again. Take it from me, sometimes it's not worth it."

* * *

"Wait, are you saying that your relationship with Dad was pointless?"

"No it wasn't pointless. It was…" Jen sat down next to her daughter. "We had to fight to keep it alive between us. When we went to Qatar, I was tired of fighting for it all of the time. I didn't expect it to go sour so fast but it did. So, it wasn't pointless, but it wasn't exactly great."

"Well obviously it must have been; considering you did agree to marry him."

"It's called being in love; sometimes it makes you do stupid things."


	22. I Have Become, Comfortably Numb

CHAPTER 22:

"James, can we please be civil about this?" Jen pleaded into the phone.

"Whatever, Take what you want, I'm leaving this damn country. I hate it! I hate the weather, and the goddamn accents!"

"All right! But just remember, England is where your daughter is."

"Like she's going to care if I live halfway around the world. I know you won't."

"Well why don't I hand the phone over to her and you can tell her where you are going?" Jen offered. James sighed.

"Fine." He growled. Jen called Marissa to pick up the phone. The moment she picked it up, Jen hung up. She would be able to hear her reaction soon enough through the walls.

* * *

"So I'm moving back to Alabama."

"What? Why?" She cried loudly.

"Because I hate it here. It's depressing and I can't stand it anymore." James explained.

"But what about me?"

"You could always come over and visit in the summer after school's done." He suggested. He hoped she wasn't that angry at him, not like Jen.

"I guess but…"

"But what?"

"You obviously don't care for me that much if you want to move so far away."

"Marissa…please?" James pleaded.

"Dad, I'll visit, all right?"

"Yeah. So I guess this is…Goodbye."

"Yes, bye."

James hung up with a tear in his eye. He knew that by leaving the country, and moving back home that he was cutting off his direct communication with his daughter; his only 'family' that he really had left, other than his mother.

* * *

"Mum?"

"Yes?" Marissa walked into the office where Jen was sitting at the desk on her laptop.

"Can I talk to you?" Jen pulled away from the computer, flipping it shut. She swivelled around in the chair to face Marissa.

"Of course you can."

"Did you ever think about getting back together with Dad ever again?"

"No. There's not a hope in hell of us getting back together. There's nothing left for us to even try. Nothing, absolutely nothing."

"I understand, I guess after all you've been through. It's hard to deal with it for me, you know."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but shit happens." Jen stood up and gave her daughter a close hug. "If I could have changed the way things happened, or at least the way they ended, I would have." 


	23. Sweet Home Alabama

CHAPTER 23:

James got off the plane and out of the airport as fast as he could. He had booked the flight merely three days since he last talked to his daughter. He arranged everything to move and packed all his remaining belongings. He didn't have much, other than clothes and some personal items. The air of his home state of Alabama filled his nostrils as he stood waiting for a cab outside of The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. He had contacted his mother ahead of time and she was still living in the same house up in Grayson Valley, a suburb of Birmingham in the northeast. He waited for a while, the wind blowing through his short hair. At last, a yellow cab pulled up. James got in and told him to go to three-eight-ten Loch Lamond Lane.

* * *

A short while later, after pushing through rush-hour traffic, he arrived at the quiet suburban neighbourhood he had grown up in. Things had changed slightly but all in all, it was very much the same. He approached the door and gave the knocker a loud and raucous knock. If anything, his mother would be hard of hearing; it ran in the family.

A few moments later, a woman shouted out the window that she'd be down momentarily, her familiar southern drawl lingering in James' ears. He waited, with a smile upon his face. At last the heavy oak door was opened. A woman, in her late sixties-early seventies stood before him. She pulled a strand of loose, greying blonde hair out of the way of her crystal blue eyes. James stared back. "Hey Mom." James leaned forward and embraced her best he could with his only arm.

* * *

"Jesus James! Why didn't you write?" Charlotte Harris Holt exclaimed, squeezing him back. This was the first time she had seen her son since her granddaughter was born.

"Listen Mom, it's a long story." He said as he pulled away. She looked down at his slack left sleeve. "A _very_ long story. Mind if I come in?"

"Oh, of course you can! Come on."

* * *

"So…after our fight in Qatar, she went on a contract where she had to kill twenty-five Allied soldiers. I happened to be number twenty-five."

"So she tried to kill you, all for money?"

"It's sad to say it, but that's the truth. Fortunately for me, the wind picked up and the bullet went to the left and took off my arm. However, she thought I was dead. And she went rogue. Fiona and Cooper thought she was dead too. And they took care of Marissa."

"Oh…they're the godparents, right?"

"Yes. They're a good couple. And so, Karma would have it that Jen got into an accident in England with Cooper. Eventually, everything was found out and Marissa, now sixteen, practically disowned Jen after finding out that she 'killed' me. This drove Jen to becoming a drunk."

"Really?"

"Yeah and by that time, I had decided enough was enough. I went back to England and stopped at a bar for some liquid courage. And when I arrived I saw the bartender helping some poor drunk girl up to a room upstairs. And that's when it hit me; that poor girl was my wife. I didn't do anything, but I knew by the sounds of things, she'd be off to a hospital in no time, with a liver in that condition."

"Dear lord boy, the things you get into."

"And that's when I decided to make my erm…appearance."

* * *

James continued on, telling her that Marissa donated part of her liver to save her mother's life and the fact he almost pulled a gun on his wife. Had it not been for his own daughter, he would have been in a British maximum security prison right now.

"So, now you're here after you both decided enough was enough."

"Yeah…I miss Marissa but, I couldn't stand it there anymore. She is planning to come stay for the majority of the summer."

"Good, then I can finally meet her all grown up." James chuckled.

"Yeah. Here's a picture." James pulled out a family portrait from his wallet. Charlotte studied it carefully.

"She looks like an awful lot like her mother. She's got those Harris eyes." She referenced her side of the family; nearly all of them had the icy blue eyes.

"She does." James half-smiled.

"I'd hate to say this, but I told you so."

* * *

"What?"

"I never liked her. She was an absolute bitch and I'm glad you got rid of her."

"Mom!"

"Oh don't tell me you're defending her now! After what you told me you said to her, I doubt callin' her a bitch moves you at all."

"But still…"  
"Okay seriously? She is selfish! And mean! AND she tried to kill you! If that's not reason enough to hate her guts, then I must have raised you wrong!" Charlotte folded her arms angrily. "I hated her from the start!"

"I guess you're right. But why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't say anything because I knew how much in love you were and I didn't want to become that typical 'monster-in-law'. But, I'd hate to say this, but I fucking told you so."


	24. Road Trip

CHAPTER 24:

"So, you guys are off to San Francisco are you?" Jen asked as she sat down with a cup of hot tea. Cooper and Fiona were sitting on the loveseat opposite her. Jen honestly could not believe that it had been thirteen years since they had been together. It was amazing and even more so, they weren't even married. But, she figured they obviously had good chemistry and they never got into fights or even small arguments. It was always the happy-go-lucky couple, Fiona and Cooper.

"Yes, we're going for what, two weeks?" Fiona looked at Cooper. He nodded reassuringly.

"I had an idea; considering that Marissa's now off school, she was going to visit her father in Alabama and I was thinking that maybe she could go with you two to Birmingham and then you leave to California after. Just so she has someone familiar with her on the plane." Jen suggested, hoping the other two would oblige.

"I don't see why not." Cooper replied with a grin.

* * *

A few days later, Marissa had safely arrived in Alabama. It was her first time visiting the United States, at least, after she was born. It was quite different; the people acted differently and the sun was, well shining bright. She had gotten off the same plane as Fiona and Cooper but instead they had gone on a road trip from here to San Francisco. Marissa looked around eagerly, searching for a one armed man, also known as her father.

"So where are we going from here?" Fiona asked quietly. They were in the back of a taxicab headed west out of Birmingham. The cabbie himself was an older man with greying white hair and a goatee. He kept quiet as well, just to hear his passengers' conversations.

"I've got a friend outside of the city. He rents out cars for road trips…" Cooper shushed his voice down so much so that Fiona had to lean in nice and close for her to hear him correctly. "And they're not just any old cars…they've got some erm…surprises."

"Oh…safe surprises right?"

"Of course."

* * *

Marissa finally spotted James. He was wearing a tee shirt; his stump clearly showing. She walked over to him, her suitcase in tow.

"Marissa!" He called out. She let go of her bag to meet his engulfing hug. Whether or not he had one arm, he was still a big man and he practically enveloped her small frame.

"Hey dad."

"Glad you could make it out." James smiled happily. He hadn't seen her in four months. She had seemingly grown up since he'd been gone; she was looking more like a young woman than a lanky and awkward teenager. He grabbed her bag for her and they started walking out of the airport. "Welcome to Birmingham."

* * *

"Ryan Cooper? Is that _YOU?_" A man's southern accented voice yelled out from the back of the car rental building Cooper and Fiona had just entered. Cooper walked over to where a short, dirtily greasy man was working on an older Buick.

"Scooter" Cooper greeted him with a firm handshake. They hadn't seen each other in years.

"How y'all doin'?" Scooter asked, wiping off his hands with a dirty rag hanging at his belt. He ran his hands through his dirty hair, spiking it up with the remainder of the grease. He looked back and forth between Cooper and his female friend. She was looking around kind of aimlessly. Scooter thought she was too pretty just to be a 'friend' of Cooper's.

"We're good. Scooter, I'm looking for a large sized vehicle, preferably an SUV of sorts." Scooter wasn't his real name of course, but everyone called him that and so Cooper did the same.

"All right, I can find ya a lil'sumthin' sumthin'." Scooter went out back, scanning the fenced in parking lot. "How 'bout this?" He pointed to a Cadillac Escalade, black in colour. Cooper shook his head. Scooter proceeded pointing down the line. Cooper continued shaking his head no until finally he found it; it was a black Hummer H2.

* * *

"We'll take it." Cooper handed over a brown envelope full of cash. He knew they were getting a lot more for what they were paying, but that was just the way Scooter worked. Scooter leaned in, quickly scanning through the stack of bills.

"Who's yer lady-friend?" He asked in a whisper, quickly looking to make sure she wasn't listening. Fiona was down looking an older Jeep she had seen at the end of the row.

"Fiona." Cooper replied curtly. He really wanted to get going and Scooter was holding him back.

"Is she _your_ lady-friend?"

"Yes sir. Thirteen years tomorrow." Cooper replied with a shy grin. He was proud of his and Fiona's time together; it made him feel complete in life. He had his cars, his girl, and enough money to spend on both.

"Seriously? Wow Ryan, I never woulda thought."

"Thought what?"

"That you of all people would be the one to settle down with someone."

"I know. I didn't think I would have either but…people change. Some for the better."

"Congratulations anyway. Here's the keys." Cooper motioned to Fiona that they were now leaving. As he pulled open the door, Scooter shouted "Y'all come back now, ya hear?"

"Road trip!" Cooper exclaimed as he and Fiona sat down in the Hummer. It's spacious cabin was rather inviting and nice. Fiona buckled her seatbelt and as she turned to look at Cooper, he had already leaned in. Their lips met in a sideways fashion, but still, Cooper being Cooper, managed to make it work.

"So…are we stopping any where?"

"Nope. We're headed straight for San Francisco, CALI-FORN-I-YA!"


	25. Hotel California

**WARNING: This chapter contains mature sexual content. Reader Discretion is Advised.**

* * *

CHAPTER 25:

"Well aren't you just a doll." Charlotte chuckled as she saw her one and only granddaughter for the first time in sixteen years. She had grown up quite a bit. She had jet-black hair that was straight as a board. Her face had straight features; her chin slightly dimpled. She had the curves of a young woman, unlike most lanky teenagers. She was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black tank top. Charlotte reached forward and gave her a hug. Marissa awkwardly hugged her back. "Come on in."

"So, how was the plane ride?" James asked as he passed around the mashed potatoes. They were having dinner together for once as a family.

"It was all right. No turbulence or anything. I slept most the way." Marissa replied, the thick London accent in her voice standing out like a beacon in the dark.

"That's good hun. So…you're welcome to stay up in the spare bedroom and make yourself at home. I just have one rule; clean up after yourself." Charlotte said as she slid a slice of roast beef on her plate. Marissa smiled back, nodding along. James looked back and forth between his mother and daughter. Although they were two generations apart, he did note that Marissa did in fact have the same eyes as her grandmother. He sat in silence while they all ate, thinking it would have only been better had he and Jen not divorced. He looked at the empty chair across from him. _That could have been her spot,_ he thought. He knew though, that those days were long gone. He had to focus on who remained in his family; his mom and his daughter. They were the ones now most important to him and he would do anything for them.

* * *

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really tired. I think I'm going to go to bed." Marissa said, interrupting James' thoughts. He regained his senses and got up from his chair, showing her to her room.

"Good night."

"Yeah, good night."

James walked back downstairs and sat down. Charlotte had finished her meal already and was waiting anxiously to talk to her son.

"She looks identical to her mother."

"I know. It sometimes makes me wonder if I'm at all related to her, but when I see those eyes…they're damn near perfect to yours mom."

"Well, at least she's got something in common with us."

"That's true. She seems like a nice girl."

"At least Jen raised her to be polite."

"I'm not saying that you both didn't do a fine job but, wasn't she raised by her godparents for most of her life?" Charlotte raised one eyebrow.

"That's true. I do owe it to Fiona and Cooper; for a couple that doesn't want kids, they sure did a helluva job raising mine."

* * *

Cooper pulled into the hotel's parking lot, finally turning off the engine of the Hummer. They had to stop five different times, each filling the tank to the brim with gas in order to keep going. He was surprised the engine didn't overheat, especially in this summer weather of the southern U.S. states.

"We're here." He said, waiting for a response from his only passenger. All he got was silence. "Fiona?" He called out softly. He saw that she had fallen asleep; her sock-covered feet nestled on the edge of the seat and her head just resting on the shoulder strap of her seatbelt. She was supporting her chin with her hand and her elbow was leaning on the edge of the door adjacent to the window. Her mouth was just slightly agape, allowing a tiny bit of drool to drip down her arm. Cooper chuckled softly to himself. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over towards her. He took a Kleenex and gently wiped the drool off her arm and side of her face. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling his touch.

"Oh…sorry I conked out on you; flying has never agreed with me."

"That's all right with me. Come on, we better get in before they give away our room."

* * *

Fiona opened the door to their suite on the fourth floor. She immediately went for the big comfy bed and collapsed upon it. She closed her eyes as soon as her head hit the pillow. Cooper kicked off his shoes and then joined her. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her slightly closer to his chest. He could smell the fruity-ness of her shampoo wafting to his nostrils. He knew exactly what shampoo she used and he found it rather ironic that she did. She used the Aussie brand, which made him laugh silently in his mind. He planted a kiss on the top of her head then reached over and turned off the light.

"Here's to our first night in San Francisco." He whispered. Fiona whispered in reply.

"Cheers."

* * *

He reached around her skinny waist and started to unbutton her jeans. He began sliding them off when she squirmed out of his grasp, removing his hands from her hips.

"I'm far too tired _Ryan._" She only used his first name when she was really serious.

"I was not going for that. I just happen to know that you hate falling asleep in your jeans and then waking up to remove them because you're uncomfortable. I was doing you a favour."

"Fine." Fiona sighed as she was overpowered. He again, tugged at the denim and then as they were off, he put them next to his shoes. He too stripped down to his underwear and undershirt. He waited for a bit, before moving his hand under her shirt, feeling his way up to her bra. Fiona growled softly, and ripped his hands from her torso.

"Okay, seriously, _stop it_!"

"I also know you can't stand sleeping with a bra on. Again, I'm just doing you a favour, no need to bite my head off." Cooper explained.

"Whatever." She let him take it off of her. She felt her breasts fall free as the material was taken away. "I can't believe it's been thirteen years."

"Listen Fiona, I know since the whole deal with Marissa came along, we never talked about it since but, would you ever want to…"

"Have a baby?" Fiona finished his question for him. She rolled over on to her other side, looking him straight in the eyes. On the way here, she had thought about a lot of things as they drove through the different states. One of which, was in fact, babies. She had never really thought of it years and years ago when she was younger, but now that she was thirty-six; it was something that was often in her thoughts.

"Yeah…how about this? We try…tonight and if you get pregnant, you get pregnant. If you don't, then life can carry on as it does. Deal?" Cooper offered in his most sincere voice. Fiona smiled through her tiredness.

"Deal."

* * *

Fiona rolled over onto her back. She took of her panties but left her shirt on. He stripped himself of his remaining clothes and already he was ready and erect enough. Fiona closed her eyes as she felt him penetrate her. They were so used to each other that they knew each other's next moves even before they happened. He would move up slightly and she would immediately begin to grab onto his shoulders to support herself. She was too tired to be extortionately loud, but they both knew it that it didn't matter anyway. He kept thrusting softly; more to be gentle and loving instead of rough and hotly passionate. It was still passionate but in a more caring, gentle and loving way. Fiona relished it even though she claimed she was tired, she would at least be going to bed happy. Cooper continued pumping his hips in time with hers and eventually he felt himself let go of all he had. He groaned, mumbling his love's name before lying down under the covers beside her. Fiona didn't mind that she came nowhere close to finishing but she was still pleasured enough to be satisfied. She snuggled up close to his heavily rising chest and whispered into his ear. "I don't ever want to not be your girl."

"Good, because I don't ever want to not be your guy."


	26. Once A Mercenary, Always A Mercenary

CHAPTER 26:

Jennifer looked down at the gold diamond studded ring that had once lived on her third finger of her left hand. It had once been her wedding ring. Now it had gathered dust sitting on her desk. She didn't know what to do with it. She was undecided whether she wanted to just throw it away in the River Thames or sell it to a jeweller. But she knew one thing; every time she looked at it, it made her think about James and when she thought about him, she couldn't help but get angry. She decided that once Fiona and Cooper got back, she would let Fiona take it in to a jewellery shop for her.

* * *

At the mere thought of her best friend, she honestly couldn't believe that thirteen years had gone by. She had come to realise that her life had gone round full circle; she had had her favourite career, she fell in love, got married, had a baby, and then got a divorce. Jen sat and pondered for a little while, glancing out the window, watching the cars go by on the nearby road. She drew a conclusion that in order for her life to have gone full circle, she would have to get back to doing the thing she loved most; being a mercenary.

* * *

She immediately began searching for available jobs using the hacked networks that Fiona had on her computer. Jen glanced over them, finding the ones available with the most money and soon, she found a job in Northern Russia, offering one hundred million dollars to get rid of a rebel leader and his army of ten thousand strong. Jen grinned evilly. She decided it was now or never and wrote down the phone number.

After consulting with a man by the name of Vladislav, she took out an old suitcase that was full of her old gear. She had the job; now she needed her guns. There it was, her good old Barrett and silenced M9. She pulled them out of the bag, the sunlight reflecting off them. Holding her rifle brought back memories of the good old days. Those were the days she was very, very willing to get back to. She was leaving England in the next twenty-four hours and she left a note on the front counter.

* * *

_~To Cooper, Fiona and Marissa;_

_I've decided that in order for my life to really have gone full circle, I need to get back to doing what I can do best and what I love most. _

_I should be home by mid-September. If I'm not, well…you'll cross that bridge when you come to it, if you must. _

_Yours, Jennifer Mui~ _


	27. Epilogue

EPILOGUE:

"Cooper! Where _are_ we going?" Fiona demanded. "And _what_ is with this blindfold?"

"Trust me, you will see. Now just be quiet and let me drive in peace. I'm not entirely sure where exactly the place I want us to go to is so…yeah, just you wait." Cooper turned on the Hummer and began driving out of the busy streets of San Fran. It was just beginning to get dark when he arrived at his destination. He pulled up to a secluded spot. He set the parking brake and turned the keys in the ignition off. It seemed to be that they were in the absolute middle of nowhere. He reached over and undid Fiona's blindfold. She looked around eagerly.

"Um…where are we?"

"Take a look at the GPS system." He smirked. She looked down at the tiny monitor that was attached to the dash board. She looked back at him and their blue eyes locked on. She smiled.

"Lover's Lane." She said rather quietly. He took the keys out of the ignition, and everything went dark inside the truck.

"So…"

"I love you, Ryan."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Hey Fiona?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that a mirror I see in your pocket?"

"Um…no, why?"

"Because I can see myself in your pants."

* * *

THE END.


End file.
